MOSCOW, July 27. /TASS/. Russia has entered an ice war with Europe, Alexey Pushkov, chairman of the Russian Federation Council (upper house of parliament) Commission on Information Policy, argued in an interview with TASS.

"I believe we have entered a long period of conflict with Europe. This is the Cold War II, but it is more intense than the previous one. I call it an `ice war’ because our relations with the West are much worse currently than they were during the Cold War I. At least, contacts were maintained, major negotiations were held, and important treaties were signed - and they were honored - back then," he argued.

While there were crises, including in the Caribbean, Vietnam, and the Middle East, there was also collaboration, "and the understanding of the need for collaboration for the sake of security," the Russian senator added.

"The way the EU and European bureaucracy have been acting shows that the current ruling European elites are powerful enough. Their political and ideological motivation is very high. And they are used to seeing the world exclusively in the light of their own interests. While they are ready to put up with China temporarily, they are no longer ready to do so with us," Pushkov emphasized.