On Christmas Day 1991, Mikhail Gorbachev resigned as the last leader of the Soviet Union, ending 44 years of ideological conflict, nuclear brinkmanship and military combat-by-proxy with the U.S. forever. Or so it seemed. Now, Russia and the U.S. have squared off on either side of conflicts in Ukraine, in Syria and in cyberspace. Russia stands accused of meddling in elections in the U.S. and Europe, along with carrying out assassinations and attempted hits in Britain. A Russian leader is proposing an economic and political alternative to Western-style democracy. Is the Cold War back? The veteran U.S. statesman Henry Kissinger said it’s possible. Russian Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev said it’s happening. Donald Trump’s presidency promised to ease tensions, though instead they show signs of getting worse.
OP-ED
Marc Champion: Cool war
Russian President Vladimir Putin (C) speaks during a meeting with world football legends at the Kremlin in Moscow on July 6, during the 2018 Russia World Cup tournament.
