AFP, United Nations :
UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres on Thurday warned of a return to Cold War-like tensions between the United States and Russia following the West’s mass expulsions of Russian diplomats.
‘I think we are coming to a situation that is similar, to a large extent, to what we lived during the Cold War,’ Guterres told reporters at UN headquarters in New York.
The United States, European nations and NATO countries have announced the expulsion of over 150 Russian diplomats in retaliation for the poisoning of a former spy in England.
Russia on Thursday announced it would expel 60 US diplomats and close a consulate in a tit-for-tat move.
Guterres said he was ‘very concerned’ about the lack of mechanisms to defuse tensions, such as special channels for information-sharing between Washington and Moscow, which were dismantled with the end of the Cold War.
‘I do believe it’s time for precautions of this sort, guaranteeing effective communication, guaranteeing capacity to prevent escalation,’ he said.
President Donald Trump ordered the departure of 48 Russian diplomats serving in missions in the United States and 12 from the Russian mission to the United Nations , the largest US expulsion of Russian or Soviet agents ever.
Former US president Barack Obama expelled 35 in late 2016 over alleged election meddling.
Relations between the United States and Russia at the UN Security Council have soured over Syria although Moscow has backed Washington’s push for sanctions on North Korea.
“I am really concerned,” he replied when asked if the increased tension warrants a revival of Cold War safety mechanisms. “I think we are coming to a situation that is similar to a large extent to what lived during the Cold War,” the UN chief said.
“I do believe it’s time for precaution of this sort guaranteeing effective communication, effective capacity to prevent escalation,” Guterres said.
He said that he believes that mechanisms of that sort are necessary again.
The question was raised after Britain and its allies expelled more than 100 diplomats in retaliation for the alleged Moscow-directed nerve-agent attack on March 4 against a former Russian spy and his daughter in Salisbury, England. They remain in critical condition.
The UN chief said there are “two important differences” between the Cold War era and the current situation.
“In the Cold War there were clearly two superpowers with a complete control of the situation in two areas of the world,” he said. “But now we have many other actors that are relatively independent with a really important role in many of the conflicts that we are witnessing.”
“On the other hand, during the Cold War there were mechanisms of communicating and control to avoid the escalation of incidents to make sure that things would not get out of control when tensions would rise,” the UN chief said.
While saying the old mechanisms should be restored, he gave no specifics.
During the Cold War, there were, for instance, “hotlines” set up among major capitals, such as between Washington and Moscow. Leaders could speak by telephone directly with each other when tensions were heightened by emergencies to avoid them escalating into a nuclear war.
UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres on Thurday warned of a return to Cold War-like tensions between the United States and Russia following the West’s mass expulsions of Russian diplomats.
‘I think we are coming to a situation that is similar, to a large extent, to what we lived during the Cold War,’ Guterres told reporters at UN headquarters in New York.
The United States, European nations and NATO countries have announced the expulsion of over 150 Russian diplomats in retaliation for the poisoning of a former spy in England.
Russia on Thursday announced it would expel 60 US diplomats and close a consulate in a tit-for-tat move.
Guterres said he was ‘very concerned’ about the lack of mechanisms to defuse tensions, such as special channels for information-sharing between Washington and Moscow, which were dismantled with the end of the Cold War.
‘I do believe it’s time for precautions of this sort, guaranteeing effective communication, guaranteeing capacity to prevent escalation,’ he said.
President Donald Trump ordered the departure of 48 Russian diplomats serving in missions in the United States and 12 from the Russian mission to the United Nations , the largest US expulsion of Russian or Soviet agents ever.
Former US president Barack Obama expelled 35 in late 2016 over alleged election meddling.
Relations between the United States and Russia at the UN Security Council have soured over Syria although Moscow has backed Washington’s push for sanctions on North Korea.
“I am really concerned,” he replied when asked if the increased tension warrants a revival of Cold War safety mechanisms. “I think we are coming to a situation that is similar to a large extent to what lived during the Cold War,” the UN chief said.
“I do believe it’s time for precaution of this sort guaranteeing effective communication, effective capacity to prevent escalation,” Guterres said.
He said that he believes that mechanisms of that sort are necessary again.
The question was raised after Britain and its allies expelled more than 100 diplomats in retaliation for the alleged Moscow-directed nerve-agent attack on March 4 against a former Russian spy and his daughter in Salisbury, England. They remain in critical condition.
The UN chief said there are “two important differences” between the Cold War era and the current situation.
“In the Cold War there were clearly two superpowers with a complete control of the situation in two areas of the world,” he said. “But now we have many other actors that are relatively independent with a really important role in many of the conflicts that we are witnessing.”
“On the other hand, during the Cold War there were mechanisms of communicating and control to avoid the escalation of incidents to make sure that things would not get out of control when tensions would rise,” the UN chief said.
While saying the old mechanisms should be restored, he gave no specifics.
During the Cold War, there were, for instance, “hotlines” set up among major capitals, such as between Washington and Moscow. Leaders could speak by telephone directly with each other when tensions were heightened by emergencies to avoid them escalating into a nuclear war.
