Superpower collapse is the political collapse of a superpower nation state; the term is most often used to describe the dissolution of the Soviet Union but also can be applied to the loss of the United Kingdom's superpower status through the decline of the British Empire. The successor of the Soviet Union, Russia, and the United Kingdom are still regarded as Great Powers today with permanent seats on the UN Security Council. The United Kingdom continues to hold extensive global soft power, and Russia holds one of the largest nuclear weapons arsenals in the world.