The most paramount issue that Western Europe had to deal with during the Cold War was their proximity to the Soviet Amalgamation. The arms race between the USSR and the USA would have left Europe feeling vulnerably susceptible.
A problem Europe faced after the cold war was the soviet union was going out of control and was invading many countries such as Hungary, which made western Europe vulnerable to invasions by the soviet union. the US and its allies continued to maintain democratic governments in europe and they established NATO.
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