Fill the gap with the most appropriate option from the list following the gap.
_____ we can now start meaningful development?
Answer Details
The most appropriate option to fill the gap is "With the cold war over."
The phrase "with the cold war over" serves as an introductory clause that helps to set the stage for the main clause of the sentence. It suggests a causal relationship between the end of the Cold War and the possibility of meaningful development.
The other options do not fit as well. "Since the cold war is over" suggests that meaningful development has already been happening since the end of the Cold War. "The cold war over" is not a complete sentence, and "that the cold war is over" is a subordinate clause that does not fit grammatically in this sentence.