When the Soviet Union officially collapsed in December, 1991, the New York Times published a lengthy, obituary-style piece about the former superpower, describing it as a nation straddling two continents and two cultures, forever torn and forever fired by the creative clash at the fault line of East and West. The end of the Cold War was supposed to temper that divide, as Russia gradually integrated with the West. Russias annexation of Crimea last month raised tensions across the globe, leading to the most direct confrontation between Moscow and Washington since the Cold War. With Russian soldiers amassing along the Ukraine border — raising the specter of further incursions — there are fears that the dispute could lead to a prolonged standoff, with major ramifications for both the West and Russia. Its not quite Cold War II, experts say, but its definitely frosty.