Recent developments in Ukraine are a defining moment in the post-cold war era. Give reasons for the assertion.
Since the beginning of 2014, Ukraine was engulfed in disturbances followed by pro-Russian unrest in some south-eastern regions, a standoff with Russia regarding the annexation of Crimea and a war between the government and Russia-backed separatists in the Donbass in eastern Ukraine. Russian take over of Crimea led to western retaliation in the form of sanctions that weakened Russian economy. Military tensions also escalated as there were fears that Russia would break Ukraine and may even occupy some former soviet satellites. Western hostility drive Russia closer to China that is threatening to polarize global politics. Nato became activated. There was a threat to Russian cooperation in global hotspots like Afghanistan, Iran and Syria.
Russian response by way of counter sanctions is part of the reason for the recession in the EU.
A section of experts believes that Cold War 2.0 has begun. While in general it is true as the tensions are unprecedented, in a technical sense, it is not as the world is closely integrated now and ideology is absent unlike in cold war after the second world war between USA and ex-USSR. It is a multipolar world now characterized by globalization without any iron curtain.
