After 1991, the United States emerged as the world’s sole superpower. The former colonial powers of Europe, weakened since World War II, aligned themselves under its leadership. Following the Soviet collapse, NATO’s rapid expansion accelerated—beginning with Poland, Hungary, and the Czech Republic in 1999, and continuing through 2004, 2009, 2017, and even 2024. This expansion gradually pushed Western military structures right up to Russia’s borders.