Russia harks back to Cold War days

If there was ever any doubt that Europe remains ideologically divided between East and West, look no further than the testing earlier this week of a new intercontinental ballistic missile designed to penetrate the new defence system now being deployed by Nato despite Moscow’s fierce complaints.

The timing of the test launch is significant and comes just days after a meeting by Nato members on the future of Afghanistan, and weeks after Russian President Vladimir Putin took the reins of power again in the Kremlin.

The development harkens back to the days of the Cold War, where both blocs escalated tensions with an unfettered arms race. While we’re not in those dark days, thankfully, the test does show that there are tensions between Russia and the west. The deployment of the missile shield in Poland has pricked Russia into action. Better now, for Nato and the Kremlin to talk, not revert to tit-for-tat escalations.