Russia and the west: confusing bark for bite

In the wake of the Russian invasion of Georgia, the spectre of the Kremlin looming maliciously over world affairs once again stalks the magazines and broadsheets of Europe and North America. Is the corpse of the Cold War rising from its shallow grave? No, says Paul Rogers. oD's long-time global security columnist joins the likes of Parag Khanna and Kishore Mahbubani in not confusing Russia's bark for its actual bite. With his typical insider's erudition, Rogers shows how Russian military tactics in the recent conflict reveal Moscow's shrunken power. But while the Kremlin may not be as strong as it seems, the west (particularly Washington) remains incapable of coming to terms with the nature of international politics in the 21st century. The west misunderstands the resurgent nationalist ambitions of countries like Russia and Iran at its own peril.