The signing of the agreement that dissolved the Soviet Union occurred in Belovezhskaya Pushcha, a picturesque primeval forest located on the border of Belarus and Poland. The key actors in this momentous event included Boris Yeltsin, the President of Russia; Leonid Kravchuk, the President of Ukraine; and Stanislav Shushkevich, the Chairman of the Supreme Soviet of Belarus. This meeting was initiated in the context of growing nationalism among Soviet republics and a general decline in the centralized power of the Soviet government, exacerbated by economic turmoil and the failed coup against Gorbachev in August of the same year.As the leaders met, it became clear that they favored a future independent from the Soviet regime, leading to the historic agreement that not only officially dissolved the USSR but also established the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS), intended to serve as a forum for cooperation among the newly independent states. The accord marked a seismic shift in international relations, as three of the largest republics within the Soviet Union recognized their independence and sovereignty, fundamentally altering the geopolitical landscape of Eastern Europe and central Asia.Following the signing, the agreement was ratified by various member states, allowing for a transition period during which the CIS was set up. This initiated a series of negotiations regarding economic and military arrangements, as well as political cooperation among member states, setting the stage for both collaboration and conflict in the years to follow.