world 'on the brink of a new Cold War'

Former Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev says the end of the Cold War didn’t signal a complete thaw in global relations.
Gorbachev, speaking at the 25th anniversary of the Berlin Wall’s dismantling, says the international community is entering another era of tension.
“The world is on the brink of a new Cold War,” Gorbachev said Saturday. “Some are even saying that it’s already begun.”
In Gorbachev’s telling, the problems began with Western nations — particularly the United States — embracing the spirit of “euphoria and triumphalism” after the Soviet Union dissolved.

The ill will fostered in those days has grown over time, he said. Gorbachev encouraged the U.S. and other nations to reestablish a rapport with Russian officials.
“To put it metaphorically, a blister has now turned into a bloody, festering wound,” said the 83-year-old Gorbachev. “We must make sure that we get the tensions that have arisen recently under control.”