As the Soviet Union unraveled in the late 1980s and early 1990s, power and legitimacy shifted rapidly from the union center and its leader, Mikhail Gorbachev, to the republics. During this turbulent period, the United States emerged as a respected and trusted actor whose engagement was valued both in Moscow and the newly assertive republican capitals. This panel revisits the dramatic end of the USSR, featuring first-hand accounts of top U.S. diplomats who navigated the complexities, challenges, and hopes of that transition—working with Soviet and post-Soviet leaders to manage nuclear risks, support political and economic change, and redefine relationships with the emerging independent states.
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