US-USSR confrontations during the Cold War &ndash; while open conflict did not break out between the two superpowers during the Cold War , there were some very intense confrontations that seemed likely to trigger World War III . As the Cold War stretched on , the main concern became the possibility of a nuclear exchange &mdash; the ultimate fear characterizing East-West tensions . Some of these confrontations included : End of the Cold War &ndash; While many observers state the 1989 Malta Summit was the end of the Cold War , it was December 1991 before the Presidents of the United States and the Soviet Union formally recognised the conflict 's end , with the Soviet Union also being dissolved at that time . Some key events leading up to the end include :
Malta Summit
Malta Summit
Outline of the Cold War