Everything is ready for a new "hot" Cold War

 

 There is a conflict with Russia, an already well-known adversary. It was the main enemy of the West during the First Cold War. But unlike the conflict, which is said to have been over communism, this new Cold War does not claim to have anything to do with ideology, the Toronto-based canadian newspaper The Star reported.

Today, all this is just the politics of the great powers.

Like the First Cold War, today's war turns America against Russia. It is fought on many fronts, from Syria to Venezuela, but at its center is Europe - especially Ukraine.

For Russian President Vladimir Putin, Ukraine is not just a place on the map. This is a key part of historical Russia.

 Moreover, for many Russian nationalists, there can be no Russia without Ukraine. Ukraine, they note, is the cradle of Russian language, culture and history.

When Catherine II conquered the Crimean peninsula in the late 18th century, the practical result was the expansion of the borders of the lands that would later become known as Ukraine.

But for Russian nationalists, the annexation of Crimea was a much more significant event. Catherine expanded the borders of Holy Russia as such.

In 2014, when Putin officially (and illegally) took Crimea from Ukraine, he reminded the world of this story.

 For the West, however, the subtleties of Russian and Ukrainian nationalism are of little interest. Ukraine is considered another country there in Eastern Europe, albeit with a complicated history.

It was sometimes part of Poland. It was once part of the Austrian Empire. For most of the 20th century, it was part of the former Soviet Union. Before the collapse of the Soviet Union in the 1990s, only a few countries treated Ukraine as a separate nation.

Yet for many Ukrainians, especially those in the western part of the country, Ukraine was just that: a nation calling for being heard.

 The end result is a country built on two alternative, competing national tariffs. For some, this is the birthplace of a dangerous form of ferocious anti-Russian nationalism. For others, it is the cradle of Russia itself.

So it is no surprise that this country's membership in NATO is such a sensitive issue.

In Canada, NATO does not cause much controversy. The Alliance was established in 1949 to protect Western Europe from the Soviet Union by all means, including nuclear weapons.

In the West, NATO is now treated as a kind of gentleman's club - theoretically powerful, but in practice mostly useless and outdated.

 But in Russia, NATO's image is much more sinister. It is a nuclear-armed alliance aimed precisely at the heart of Russia.

NATO enlargement after the collapse of the Soviet Union has worried many in Russia. Countries traditionally hostile to Russia, such as Poland and the Baltic states, are now full members of NATO.

But it is believed that all this is incomparable with the alleged threat from Ukraine. In 2008, NATO agreed to allow Ukraine to become a member of the Alliance sometime in the future. This decision is still in force.

And now a new Cold War begins. Russia is increasing its troop numbers near the border with Ukraine.

 America is threatening repercussions if these troops invade Ukraine.

The Russians say the conflict could be avoided if NATO agrees not to accept Ukraine. But the Alliance refuses to be bound by such obligations.

US President Joe Biden has made it clear this week that if Russia invades Ukraine, America will not retaliate.

But according to some reports, he told the Russian leader during a video call that anything else was possible.

In short, everything is ready for a new "hot" Cold War.

And it is believed that Canada will take part in it.