The return of cold war attitudes and rhetoric to poison many aspects of Russia's relations with its former rivals in the west is both alarming and depressing. The latest confrontation between mighty Moscow and the tiny former Soviet republic of Estonia provides a sorry excuse and example. The war of words over the removal of a Soviet war memorial might be dismissed as absurd, if it had not already cost one life and caused considerable violence and the threat of more in both Tallinn and Moscow.

Responsibility for the present stand-off lies on both sides. The bronze statue of a Soviet "liberator" in the centre of the Estonian capital had become a focus for Russian nationalist demonstrators mourning the passing of the Soviet Union. That infuriated Estonian nationalists and had caused clashes between the two groups. Moving such a divisive symbol was probably inevitable, but it should have been done in careful consultation with the local Russian community. Instead, it has allowed Moscow to find yet another excuse to threaten and destabilise one of its former colonies.