Russia and the West: Where did it all go wrong?
<p><span word="It">It</span> <span word="is">is</span> <span word="hard">hard</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="imagine">imagine</span> <span word="a">a</span> <span word="period">period</span> <span word="since">since</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="end">end</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="Cold">Cold</span> <span word="War">War</span> <span word="when">when</span> <span word="relations">relations</span> <span word="between">between</span> <span word="Russia">Russia</span> <span word="and">and</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="United">United</span> <span word="States">States</span> <span word="have">have</span> <span word="been">been</span> <span word="quite">quite</span> <span word="so">so</span> <span word="bad">bad</span>.</p><p><span word="US">US</span> <span word="officials">officials</span> <span word="have">have</span> <span word="described">described</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="joint">joint</span> <span word="Russian">Russian</span>-<span word="Syrian">Syrian</span> <span word="onslaught">onslaught</span> <span word="against">against</span> <span word="Aleppo">Aleppo</span> <span word="as">as</span> "<span word="barbarism">barbarism</span>" <span word="and">and</span> <span word="warned">warned</span> <span word="that">that</span> <span word="war">war</span> <span word="crimes">crimes</span> <span word="are">are</span> <span word="being">being</span> <span word="carried">carried</span> <span word="out">out</span>.</p><p><span word="The">The</span> <span word="Russian">Russian</span> <span word="president">president</span> <span word="has">has</span> <span word="spoken">spoken</span> <span word="explicitly">explicitly</span> <span word="about">about</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="worsening">worsening</span> <span word="climate">climate</span> <span word="between">between</span> <span word="Washington">Washington</span> <span word="and">and</span> <span word="Moscow">Moscow</span>, <span word="insisting">insisting</span> <span word="that">that</span> <span word="what">what</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="Obama">Obama</span> <span word="administration">administration</span> <span word="wants">wants</span> <span word="is">is</span> "<span word="diktat">diktat</span>" <span word="rather">rather</span> <span word="than">than</span> <span word="dialogue">dialogue</span>.</p><p><span word="For">For</span> <span word="all">all</span> <span word="that">that</span>, <span word="the">the</span> <span word="US">US</span> <span word="and">and</span> <span word="Russia">Russia</span> <span word="are">are</span> <span word="still">still</span> <span word="in">in</span> <span word="contact">contact</span> <span word="over">over</span> <span word="Syria">Syria</span>. <span word="For">For</span> <span word="all">all</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="harsh">harsh</span> <span word="rhetoric">rhetoric</span> <span word="and">and</span> <span word="accusations">accusations</span>, <span word="they">they</span> <span word="both">both</span> <span word="realise">realise</span> <span word="that">that</span> <span word="they">they</span> <span word="have">have</span> <span word="a">a</span> <span word="vital">vital</span> <span word="role">role</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="play">play</span> <span word="in">in</span> <span word="any">any</span> <span word="eventual">eventual</span> <span word="settlement">settlement</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="Syrian">Syrian</span> <span word="drama">drama</span>.</p><p><span word="Whatever">Whatever</span> <span word="its">its</span> <span word="immediate">immediate</span> <span word="strategic">strategic</span> <span word="intentions">intentions</span>, <span word="a">a</span> <span word="permanent">permanent</span> <span word="war">war</span> <span word="in">in</span> <span word="Syria">Syria</span> <span word="doesn">doesn</span>'<span word="t">t</span> <span word="benefit">benefit</span> <span word="Moscow">Moscow</span> <span word="any">any</span> <span word="more">more</span> <span word="than">than</span> <span word="Washington">Washington</span>.</p><p><span word="But">But</span> <span word="without">without</span> <span word="that">that</span> <span word="basic">basic</span> <span word="level">level</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="trust">trust</span> <span word="and">and</span> <span word="understanding">understanding</span> <span word="between">between</span> <span word="them">them</span>, <span word="any">any</span> <span word="dialogue">dialogue</span> <span word="rests">rests</span> <span word="upon">upon</span> <span word="shaky">shaky</span> <span word="foundations">foundations</span>. <span word="It">It</span> <span word="was">was</span> <span word="never">never</span> <span word="supposed">supposed</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="be">be</span> <span word="like">like</span> <span word="this">this</span>. <span word="The">The</span> <span word="end">end</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="Cold">Cold</span> <span word="War">War</span> <span word="was">was</span> <span word="supposed">supposed</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="usher">usher</span> <span word="in">in</span> <span word="a">a</span> <span word="new">new</span> <span word="era">era</span>.</p><p><span word="For">For</span> <span word="a">a</span> <span word="time">time</span> <span word="Russia">Russia</span> <span word="retreated">retreated</span> <span word="from">from</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="world">world</span> <span word="stage">stage</span>, <span word="but">but</span> <span word="now">now</span> <span word="it">it</span> <span word="is">is</span> <span word="back">back</span> <span word="with">with</span> <span word="a">a</span> <span word="vengeance">vengeance</span>, <span word="eager">eager</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="consolidate">consolidate</span> <span word="its">its</span> <span word="position">position</span> <span word="nearer">nearer</span> <span word="home">home</span>; <span word="to">to</span> <span word="restore">restore</span> <span word="something">something</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="its">its</span> <span word="former">former</span> <span word="global">global</span> <span word="role">role</span> <span word="and">and</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="make">make</span> <span word="up">up</span> <span word="for">for</span> <span word="perceived">perceived</span> <span word="slights">slights</span> <span word="perpetrated">perpetrated</span> <span word="by">by</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="West">West</span>.</p><p><span word="So">So</span> <span word="where">where</span> <span word="did">did</span> <span word="it">it</span> <span word="all">all</span> <span word="go">go</span> <span word="wrong">wrong</span>? <span word="Why">Why</span> <span word="were">were</span> <span word="Russia">Russia</span> <span word="and">and</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="West">West</span> <span word="unable">unable</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="forge">forge</span> <span word="a">a</span> <span word="different">different</span> <span word="type">type</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="relationship">relationship</span>? <span word="Who">Who</span> <span word="is">is</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="blame">blame</span>? <span word="Was">Was</span> <span word="it">it</span> <span word="US">US</span> <span word="over">over</span>-<span word="reach">reach</span> <span word="and">and</span> <span word="insensitivity">insensitivity</span>, <span word="or">or</span> <span word="Russia">Russia</span>'<span word="s">s</span> <span word="nostalgia">nostalgia</span> <span word="for">for</span> <span word="Soviet">Soviet</span> <span word="greatness">greatness</span>? <span word="Why">Why</span> <span word="have">have</span> <span word="things">things</span> <span word="now">now</span> <span word="got">got</span> <span word="so">so</span> <span word="bad">bad</span> <span word="and">and</span> <span word="is">is</span> <span word="it">it</span> <span word="correct">correct</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="describe">describe</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="present">present</span> <span word="state">state</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="affairs">affairs</span> <span word="as">as</span> <span word="a">a</span> "<span word="new">new</span> <span word="Cold">Cold</span> <span word="War">War</span>"?</p>
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