An occasion to take stock

On the occasion of the 25th anniversary of the fall of the Berlin Wall, Mikhail Gorbachev, the last leader of the former Soviet Union, warned that the world was on the brink of another Cold War.

Gorbachev seems to put the blame on both the West and on Russia for the rapid deterioration in East-West relations.

The West, he says, has been squeezing Moscow since the fall of the Berlin Wall by extending NATO’s sphere of influence and clout, particularly its military might, to the very door of the Russian Federation.

Russia, in turn, broke international law by invading and occupying Crimea, in open defiance of the new international order that came into being at the end of the Soviet era.

Moscow did not stop at the annexation of the Crimean Peninsula, but went on to intervene militarily in the eastern region of Ukraine, a sovereign country.

The former Russian leader’s perspective on things stands to reason. His warning should sound alarm bells.

The 25th anniversary of the fall of Berlin Wall should be a reminder that both East and West must try harder to restore, and maintain, good relations, based on international law.

The two parties should give an example to the rest of the international community of how superpowers can have the best of relations.

Our region is in turmoil and there are many other flashpoints in the world.

Russia and NATO, who experienced the worst of wars 70 years ago, should know better than escalate a tense political situation.

Commemorating the events that took place 25 years ago, humanity should stop to ponder what happens when hostility among countries and trampling on human rights prevail.

Mankind should be wiser, and act accordingly, if only because it went through the experiences of the past century.