Russian Federation, United States, and the European Union, 2006-2008. A Return to the Cold War?

During recent years, relations between the Russian Federation, the European countries and the United States have become strained to the point that they have even involved nato. Opposing positions of Russia and the United States, in the European sphere, are causing confrontation in the region. Russia has gained strength, as oil and gas prices have remained high during recent years and it is trying to recover its position as an independent, global power, not perhaps within a bi-polar, but rather in a multi-polar order of nations. Divergent interests and goals of the Russian and United States' governments, concerning a European and global security policy, make the conflict-prevention and peace-keeping environment on the continent even more difficult.