Relations between Russia and the U.S. have become increasingly tense amid U.S. criticism of the Kremlin for rolling back on democracy and Moscow's complaints against U.S. plans to deploy missile defense sites in Europe close to its western borders. In a state of the nation address last month, Putin called for a Russian moratorium on observance of the Conventional Forces in Europe Treaty, which limits the number of aircraft, tanks and other non- nuclear heavy weapons around the continent, saying that NATO members' refusal to ratify an amended version of the pact hurt Russia's security interests. Putin also threatened to pull out of the treaty altogether unless talks with NATO members yielded satisfactory results, and some Russian generals warned that Moscow could also opt out of a Cold War-era treaty with the United States banning intermediate-range missiles. http://www.breitbart.com/article.php?id=D8P1MACG0&show_article=1 Anybody else think recent developments could spell the beginning of a new cold war between the US and Russia?
I do not believe so. Absent the Soviet empire, the Russians simply don't have the resources to be a serious threat. The largest danger the Russians pose now is their constant sales of second-rate arms to anyone with hard currency.
Apart from nuclear weapons and natural resources, Russia is nowhere near as powerfulas the USA and wont be in any time to come. Watch China.
Putin's actions can be a bit of a mystery. One moment he zigs and the next moment he zags. One moment he's slapping you on the back and the next there's a knife growing between your shoulder blades. It must be all of the time he spent in the KGB. Putin keeps a very high approval rating largely by appealing to Russian nationalism. This really is all that the Russians have going for them. This requires, of course, that Putin act like a real prick when dealing with the United States. When it has really counted, Putin has quietly done what needed to be done to keep relations from going too far in the wrong direction. I don't believe that Putin wants any type of real war. The Russian forces are in horrible shape. At this time, they could be beaten easily by a much smaller force. However, Putin does not in any way want to appear weak. He has to be as much of a cheerleader as he is a national leader. I don't think that anyone really cares right now if the old treaties are cancelled. Putin should not invest too heavily in throwing his weight around when his nation doesn't have too much to throw around.