Analyse
By 1990, the Cold War’s ideological and geopolitical tensions had significantly eased due to Gorbachev’s *glasnost* and *perestroika* reforms, the fall of the Berlin Wall (1989), and the impending collapse of the USSR (1991). However, the **arms race** persisted in some forms: nuclear arsenals remained vast (e.g., START I was signed only in 1991), and military spending in the U.S. and USSR, while reduced, had not ceased entirely. His emphasis on poverty, disease, and environmental issues reflected global priorities but was a normative statement, not a verifiable fact.
Achtergrond
Gorbachev’s 1990 Nobel Prize recognized his role in ending Cold War hostilities, including nuclear de-escalation efforts like the INF Treaty (1987). The speech occurred amid the USSR’s dissolution, with superpower rivalry waning but not all arms competition halted. His call to address global challenges aligned with emerging UN Sustainable Development Goals precursors (e.g., the 1992 Earth Summit).
Samenvatting verdict
Gorbachev’s claim about the **end of the Cold War** was broadly accurate by 1990, but the **arms race** had not fully concluded, and his framing of 'real problems' was subjective though widely shared.