 Andropov akatarisana nenhevedzano yezvinetso zvematongerwo enyika: mamiriro asina tariro ehondo yeSoviet muAfghanistan, kutyisidzira kupandukira muPoland, ruvengo rwunokura neChina, kutyisidzira kwehondo muMiddle East, uye kurwisana kwevanhu muEthiopiauye South Africa. Tyisidziro yakakomba zvikurusa yakanga iri Hondo yeCold yechipiri yakatangwa naPurezidhendi weAmerica Ronald Reagan uye denho chaiyo yokudzorera shure icho iye akashurikidza seUmambo Hwoushati. Reagan akanga achishandisa simba rezvemari reAmerica, uye utera hwezvemari hweSoviet, kuti awedzere mari yakawanda paHondo Yemashoko, achisimbisa unyanzvi hwepamusoro uhwo Moscow yakanga isina. Mhinduro huru yakanga iri kukwidza bhajeti rehondo kusvika ku70 muzana yebhajeti rose, uye kugovera mabhiriyoni emadhora erubatsiro rwehondo kuSyria, Iraq, Libya, South Yemen, Palestine Liberation Organization, Cuba, uye North Korea. Izvozvo zvaibatanidza matangi nengoro dzinotakura zvombo, mazana endege dzokurwa, pamwe chete nemishonga inopesana nendege, zvombo zvehondo, uye marudzi ose emidziyo yezvigadzirwa zvemazuva ano zvikuru iyo USSR yakanga iri mugoveri mukuru wehama dzayo. Chinangwa chikuru chaAndropov chakanga chiri chokudzivisa hondo yakazaruka. 