I appreciate your input Monroe, don't get me wrong, it's just that I didn't clarify this point as I believed it was obvious. Perhaps I shouldn't have been so presumptuous.

This seems like a Cold War 2., because the nuclear threat is still very much present and more or less the same players are involved.

It is not the exact same as the first Cold War, in the sense that Russia is in a much weaker position without the support of the USSR states, and the nuclear warheads of today are many times stronger and more powerful.

When it comes to the WWIII scenario, the seeds are being planted; nations are under pressure to choose sides - even countries with no real stake in European politics - and this can lead to a stand off between bi-polar powers.

It all hinges on how we handle Ukraine. This may be the last real chance for de-escalation.

Thanks for reading!