When exactly did the Cold War end?

The end of the Cold War is not associated with one specific date or event, but rather with a series of key historical moments:

In 1985, Mikhail Gorbachev became General Secretary of the CPSU and began to pursue a policy of reform - perestroika (restructuring) and glasnost.

In 1987, the Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty (INF) was signed between the USSR and the United States.

In 1989, communist regimes collapsed in Eastern European countries - Poland, Hungary, Czechoslovakia, East Germany and others.

In November 1989, the Berlin Wall, a symbol of the division of Europe and the Cold War, was destroyed.

In December 1989, at the Malta Summit, US President George Bush and Gorbachev declared the conflict effectively over.

In December 1991, the Soviet Union collapsed, formally ending one of the two sides in the conflict.

Thus, the Cold War can be considered over at the end of 1991.

Who won?
The United States and its allies are traditionally considered the winners of the Cold War. Key reasons:

The ideological triumph of democracy and market economy - the liberal democratic model became dominant in many countries around the world.

The collapse of the USSR and the Eastern Bloc - the Soviet Union ceased to exist as a single state, and many countries of the former Eastern Bloc entered the Western sphere of influence.

NATO expansion and US influence - the military and political influence of the US increased significantly.

However, the victory was complex and controversial. Economic problems, social upheavals and political crises in the post-Soviet space left deep wounds. For many peoples of the region, this was not only the end of confrontation, but also the beginning of a difficult transition period.

The Cold War ended with a series of events from 1989 to 1991, culminating in the collapse of the USSR. The Western coalition led by the United States emerged victorious, but historians note that its legacy also includes challenges to peace and stability that are felt today.