A number of recent developments in these super-powers like USA, Russia and China, and particularly tensions between the US and Russia have raised concerns about the onset of a new cold war and a new arms race.
Along with increased military spending and new weapons testing, the collective West and Moscow accuse each other of aggression and violating international law. Popular in the West theme — the desire of Russia to reconsider the current world order and its unreasonable (from the point of view of the West) geopolitical ambitions. In turn, Moscow likes to talk about the injustice of the world order and ignoring its strategic interests. Relations with China are explained in more muted tones, but the keynotes are very similar.
The most famous example posed by the U.S. missile defense system, which in total will cost nearly $ 200 billion. The system is created, despite the fact that in the case of large-scale conflict, it will not create serious problems the main geopolitical opponents of Washington. A system of this scale, at least in Europe does not need to reflect the theoretical missile attacks from such States as Iran or North Korea, who initially was declared the main purpose of deploying the missile shield.
At the same time, no one will unilaterally terminate the international Treaty and to spend large sums of money on the system, about the wisdom of which is questionable. Such action is only justified if the creation of the system has another purpose which is different from the original ones. Since interceptors can easily be replaced with capable of carrying nuclear warheads, already designed for other purposes missiles, then Moscow mainly talks about the deployment of offensive systems near the Russian borders, the violation of strategic balance and on the response steps. No need to be psychic to see that will be immediately followed by contractia the other hand, will cover new sectors, and a vicious circle can continue indefinitely, until someone will not withstand the nerves, it will collapse the economy or changes to the political system, including the geopolitical priorities.
While open, the arms race has not started yet, but it is real, especially as an integral part of the geopolitical contradictions. Dominant on a global scale after the collapse of the Soviet Union the collective West led by the US loses influence, the outflow from the Western version of globalization, and there are a range of contenders to build the new, so-called multipolar world in which the West plays the role only as one of the centers of power. In such a situation, military potential is one of the main arguments, and if between the superpowers no agreement is reached on the redistribution of global influence (which is unlikely), then the world is, unfortunately, a very dark period of time. Besides, paying for the arms race we have all, including Latvia.
