I don't believe there are any winners re. the cold war , except of course for the fatcats on both sides, who did well and continue to do well at the expense of others... I suppose US strategists got what they wanted: unlimited and practically unconditional access to the USSR's underbelly of strategically crucial republics. The US en EU arms companies rub their hands in glee, because the new standard in these republics is western gear. It is dead easy for any "western" "humanitarian" organisations to get substantial grants to work in these areas.

Countries and people refusing to play the ball game are demonised consistently by mainstream "pro-market/democratic" mass media. Just look at Belarus.

I think people from many various countries are responsible for this state of affairs. No country is perfect, and most people with wealth like improving on it at the expense of others, whatever country they are in.

Sorry, I seem to have started ranting