<P> World inventories of weapons - grade fissile materials are substantial, much greater than now needed for military purposes . Until these materials can be demilitarized, they need to be security safeguarded . Many production facilities are yet to be shut down . </P> <P> In the meantime, sensitive materials have to be safely and securely stored, pending their conversion to non-military use . In particular, the successor states of the former Soviet Union were generally not in a position to finance and maintain secure safeguards when the Cold War came to such an unprepared and relatively sudden end . </P> <P> National security and defense for nuclear - weapons states must be frequently reevaluated . The international arms - control treaty and verification regime inherited from the Cold War is only slowly being updated to reflect the realities of a broken international security environment . </P> <P> Internal national - security military postures still dominate behavior among sovereign nations . The former superpowers have not formally consummated their stand - down from Cold War military equipoise . </P>

Who suffered the most during the cold war