Heightened tension between Russia and the West suggests we’re inching towards a new Cold War – can it be averted?
![Putin accused the West of meddling in Russia's internal affairs, writes Oskanian [AP]](/wp-content/uploads/2014/12/201412108305403580_20.jpeg?resize=270%2C180&quality=80)

Heightened tension between Russia and the West suggests we’re inching towards a new Cold War – can it be averted?
![Putin accused the West of meddling in Russia's internal affairs, writes Oskanian [AP]](/wp-content/uploads/2014/12/201412108305403580_20.jpeg?resize=270%2C180&quality=80)
Russia’s weakening status will have a major economic and political impact on the divided and fragmen
![The three republics have varying degrees of dependencies on Russia, writes Oskanian [AFP]](/wp-content/uploads/2014/10/2014102983743953734_20.jpeg?resize=270%2C180&quality=80)
Henry Kissinger’s prescription for global woes remains the same – more realism, less idealism.
![Kissinger is not wicked, but a realist par excellence, writes Oskanian [AP]](/wp-content/uploads/2014/10/201410161523781734_20.jpeg?resize=270%2C180&quality=80)
What will be the impact of the Scottish experience on other nations with self-determination aspirati
![The world has watched Scotland's referendum with admiration and circumspection, writes Oskanian [EPA]](/wp-content/uploads/2014/09/201491954142676734_20.jpeg?resize=270%2C180&quality=80)
Friends and foes must set aside their differences – even if temporarily – to drive out the Islamic State group.
![The Islamic State group needs to be confronted and driven into oblivion, writes Oskanian [Reuters]](/wp-content/uploads/2014/09/2014978254488734_20.jpeg?resize=270%2C180&quality=80)
Fighting in Ukraine, and Russia-West rivalries complicate a resolution to the Nagorno-Karabkh confli
![Russian President Vladimir Putin has hosted a meeting between Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev and Armenian President Serzh Sargsyan over tensions in the Nagorno-Karabakh region [Reuters]](/wp-content/uploads/2014/08/2014810832342580_20.jpeg?resize=270%2C180&quality=80)
Israel should stop demonising Hamas and start adopting a more inclusive approach.
![Hamas has rejected an Egypt-sponsored ceasefire with Israel [AFP]](/wp-content/uploads/2014/07/201472495655940580_20.jpeg?resize=270%2C180&quality=80)
What happens when US moralistic interventionism collides with Russian imperial inertia?
![The US never stopped containing Russia, just as Russia never ceased seeing itself as an imperial power, writes Oskanian [AP]](/wp-content/uploads/2014/07/201471313731742580_20.jpeg?resize=270%2C180&quality=80)
If there were ever a moment for the UN to step up to the plate in the Middle East, this is it.
![The concern of those advocating a diplomatic solution to the Iraqi plight is understandable, writes Oskanian [Getty Image]](/wp-content/uploads/2014/06/201462673433412734_20.jpeg?resize=270%2C180&quality=80)
Cooperation between Turkey and Iran is critical for the resolution of persisting conflicts in the Middle East.
![Rouhani's visit to Turkey was the first official state visit by an Iranian president in 18 years [AFP]](/wp-content/uploads/2014/06/201461662617959580_20.jpeg?resize=270%2C180&quality=80)