Russia has also been trying to re-assert its position of supremacy among the erstwhile Soviet Republics in the Caucasus and Central Asian regions. These newly independent countries are in no mood to accept Russian hegemony over them.

Putin’s criticism clearly refers to a hard-line Cold War mentality not seen since the fall of the Soviet Union in 1991.
US with its Missile Shield in Ukraine is clearly a blow to Russia’s new self-confidence, which has stemmed from high oil prices and a shortage of energy supplies.

As Russia is trying to reclaim the role of a regional and global superpower, US simply can’t afford to tackle Russia. Cheney’s criticism surely fueled the debate of cold war but I think there’s hardly any thing that they can do about it. First they need to resolve the crisis in the Middle East that this so called “western might” have screwed to a degree from where they can’t even think of getting Russia under their swathe.

I think cold war II will be the time for United States of America to split as it happened to Soviet Union.

Competition always brings out something innovative, but the outcome of the cold war in the past certainly gave birth to evil empires of the future, which though devastated in the course of time but always nurtured the notion of emerging as super powers someday. If Russia hopes to revive it in any sense now (extensively), it would be a crazy idea, especially when we reckon China and UK too as emerging forces. Anyway, who says there is no cold war going on? All countries, small or big, are apparently active members of the Cold War of the Modern Era, fighting at their own levels and on different fronts; it’s just a matter of dogmas how one perceives and pursue it.

United States intervention into other states has grown manifold since the cold war terminated - US has repeatedly tried to impose its policies over the other States...Iraq and Afghanistan are true examples of the forced US strategy.

If their is a way out of this American domain - then this growing tension and competition against it is justified.

yes, rightly Pankaj - Russia will get closer to China, to balance its might... China has been a close ally to Russia in the Cold War and it is Russia’s true refuge here too.

The new Russian drive does derive from its want of power and the status of a global superpower, but it would be wrong to say that this is the only reason. International politics is an amalgamation of a lot of direct-indirect, conscious-subconscious, and external-internal factors. It is all of these factors in play that finally determines the international scenario at hand. In this case, not only is Russia’s want of power a reason, the vaccuum being created because of the US’s declining global hegemony is also a major reason. If one looks back, the US originally gathered power status because of the declining empire status of colonial powers such as France, and the UK. Similarly, now that the US seems to be struggling with its acts in the Middle East, as well as South Asia, it is natural that a country like Russia would aim to fill the power vaccuum created.

Cold War – II is a concept that has been evolving ever since the last one ended in the early nineties of last century.

A bi-polar world divided between the US led Western Block and the Soviet Union led Eastern Block did provide global stability for about 45 years. World War II had changed the world order and these two alliances surfaced after Hitler’s Germany was defeated.

But does a New Russia, indicate the revival of old rivalries between the leaders of Cold War – I.

I guess NO. The dynamics have changed. In the intervening vacuum, new powers are emerging on the Global arena and certainly New Russia too is competing to regain its position in the hierarchy of nations.

Collapse of the Eastern Block did swing the power pendulum in favour of United States but since then as events have unfolded in Iraq, unilateral action by the most powerful nation against a small country whose regime was detrimental towards its interests does show that brutal force alone does not control world order.

Rise of Japan after World War II and during the Cold War altered forever the parameters of power in the comity of nations.

Post Cold War we are witnessing the rise of European Union in the west, China and India in the east.

The American power play is being challenged on many fronts and New Russia, relying mainly on its vast resources, is attempting to build itself as an economic powerhouse that would gradually extend to acquire more military powers.

The teeming millions in India and China are slowly rising to take their place. While democracy has helped to accommodate dissent in India, state power has moved China on an economic growth curve hard to wrest for at least the next two decades.

A burden of thickly populated Asia has today turned into a human resource asset that has at an economic advantage over many advanced nations.

Thomas Friedman view that - The World Is Flat, depicts how the world is rapidly changing.

Having failed to bring about a democratic revolution in Islamic Iraq, the US is seeking to expand the NATO, a relic of Cold War – I, to retain its hegemony in the world order.

This is prompting a re-grouping among other powers to balance the provocative action that America unilaterally resorts to wherever its interests are involved.

Dissent appeared when Germany and France opposed the Iraq War. Russia mooting a proposal about a India-China-Russia collaboration is another attempt to shake of the power grip of that US presently has over global businesses.

So long as multi-polarity exits, Cold War II does not appear likely. But if the nations converge on bi-polarity, then Cold War two will be much more fierce than what we have seen before.