"The Cold War was over long before it was officially declared dead"

The Cold War was a duration of tension and hostility between the United States and the Soviet Union that lasted from completion of World War II up until the fall of the Soviet Union in 1991. In this quote, John Le Carre is suggesting that the Cold War had actually already ended before it was officially stated dead. This might be translated as a metaphor for the reality that the Cold War had actually already been won by the United States prior to it was formally stated over. The Cold War was a period of intense competitors between the two superpowers, and the United States was eventually triumphant. Le Carre's quote might likewise be analyzed as a commentary on the fact that the Cold War was a long and drawn-out conflict that had currently ended in the minds of many people before it was formally declared over. In this method, Le Carre is recommending that the Cold War was already over in the minds of lots of people prior to it was formally stated dead.