MOSCOW, November 17. /TASS/. The current crisis in relations between Russia and the United States may be called the second Cold War, triggered by the European Union’s steps, Sergey Rogov, Academic Director of the Institute for the US and Canadian Studies, said on Friday.

"The current crisis in relations between Russia and the EU was not sparked by the United States. The EU created a situation when Russia’s interests are absolutely neglected in regard to the European proposals on how to have partnership relations and create the association with Ukraine and other former Soviet republics," he said. "This EU position triggered that chain of events that resulted into a new Cold War."

According to the expert, Russia and the US "are experiencing the second Cold War." "It differs from the first one, but this is a confrontational model of relations and it is serious and for long," Rogov said. "In the foreseeable future, I don’t expect any radical changes for the better."

Given the latest NATO expansion to Eastern Europe and the deployment of missile systems in this region, the expert thinks that today’s military tensions have reached the level similar to the years of confrontation between the Soviet Union and the US.

"Very serious measures are needed to prevent a further increase in military tensions in Europe on the line of contact between NATO and Russia. Today, like during the first Cold War (1947-1991) our and NATO armed forces are opposed to each other," he added.

"A whole range of measures are needed aimed at decreasing tensions, which should not allow very dangerous incidents to transform into a real military conflict," Rogov said.