According to the BCC, "During the Cold War, Coca-Cola became a symbol of capitalism and a faultline between capitalism and communism, says Webster."
"He [Dwight Eisenhower] also introduced the drink to top Soviet general, Georgy Zhukov, who asked if a special, colourless version - one that looked like vodka - could be made, and Coca-Cola duly obliged for a while, says Standage [author of A History of the World in Six Glasses]."
"It was not marketed in the former Soviet Union due to the fear that profits would go straight into communist government coffers, says Standage."
"When the Berlin Wall fell in 1989, many East Germans bought Coca-Cola by the crate-load, says Standage. "Drinking Coca-Cola became a symbol of freedom.""
The New York Times writes "Then there was Marshal Georgi Zhukov, the Russian war hero. When Gen. Dwight D. Eisenhower introduced Coke to Zhukov, the Russian liked it. But he also knew how Stalin would react if one of his generals was seen drinking an American imperialist symbol. The folks at Coke were as accommodating as could be. A chemist removed the soda's caramel color, and they put the drink in a clear bottle with a white cap and red star. First shipment of White Coke: 50 cases."
Further Reading:
http://archive.is/Q4HRs ("Clinton Chooses Coke in Russia's Cola War" by Alessandra Stanley)
Sources:
1) https://www.amazon.com/History-World-6-Glasses/dp/0802715524/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1505830009&sr=1-1&keywords=six+glasses ("A History of the World in 6 Glasses" by Tom Standage)
2) http://archive.is/ylQSw ("Who, What, Why: In which countries is Coca-Cola not sold?" by Cordelia Hebblethwaite)
3) http://archive.is/7vhx7 ("Viewpoints; A Brief History of Coca-Colonization" by Mark Pendergrast)
4) https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/White_Coke (Wikipedia)
