The Current Disaster in Ukraine

Many apparently believe that when the Berlin Wall came down back in 1989, and then two years later the USSR imploded, that these events signalled the final end to the 'Cold War'. This is rather strange when you actually consider all that took place after these events, and the current (and rather sad) state of the world today. The 'Cold War' over? [i]It never ended![/i]
In fact, the so-called Doomsday Clock is now closer to midnight than it's EVER been, and maybe I shouldn't, but I DO worry about the war in Ukraine getting worse, and spreading to other nations within Eastern Europe. Need I worry? I think so!
The truth is I don't "support" either side in that, profoundly stupid, war. Both sides (and by that expression, I mean NATO and Russia, not Ukraine and Russia) in the conflict seem determined to make it even worse, and being the politicians they are, they don't give a damn about anyone or anything apart from "saving face"! It's sickening, it truly is.

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Alyosha · 31-35, M

I think I'm in agreement with you. The US gave bad advice to Russia in the wake of the dissolution of the USSR and Russia suffered for it (the oligarch system is residue of selling off Russian industry to private persons wholesale rather than breaking it into smaller entities for the sake of competition in the market). Russia, suffering humiliation having gone from a superpower to a has-been, has been on a mission to rebuild national pride under Putin. One of the ways this has been expressed is in the acquisition of territory historically owned by Russia, like Crimea and Ukraine. Moreover, Russia has spread illiberal democracy (authoritarianism plus voting) as far and wide as it can, financing right-wing parties across Europe and meddling in US elections. The Cold War was declared over because for a time Russia under Yeltsin played nice with America, but this didn't last under Putin. Russia and Putin still see America as the enemy.