Talk of new Cold War 'over-dramatic', Russian Ambassador tells ITV News
Talk of a new Cold War is "over-dramatic", Russia's UN Ambassador has told ITV News.
Vitaly Churkin said there were some "frictions and tensions" between his country and the USA over the Syria conflict but not on the scale of the Cold War.
US-Russian relations have been strained in recent weeks following the collapse of a ceasefire in Syria and the subsequent bombardment of Aleppo.
On Monday, the US halted attempts to reach a new ceasefire deal with Russia, while elsewhere Russian President Vladimir Putin suspended a deal with the US on the disposal of weapons-grade plutonium.
Mr Churkin, who holds the rotating security council presidency for October, said the problems in Syria were caused by a difference of attitude.
Asked by ITV News Washington Correspondent Robert Moore about talk of a new Cold War, he said: "I think it is over-dramatic.
"Real Cold War is when we're investing enormous resources in order to prepare seriously for a nuclear war against each other. This is not the case now.
"The Cold War is when there is this ideological struggle, communist versus capitalism.
"And the Cold War is competition wherever you can pick up a fight with Americans.
"This is not the case at all. On all those three counts, it's not a Cold War."
Mr Churkin added that there were some "differences" and "clashes of interest" between the two nations.
He criticised the US and other nations for trying to use the security council to implement regime change in Syria and said there must be a political solution to the crisis. The ambassador also claimed some nations had used terrorist groups for political goals.
"When you talk about moral responsibilities keep those things in mind," he said.
UN Syria envoy Staffan de Mistura said he "deeply regrets" the suspension of ceasefire talks, but said the world body would "continue to push energetically for a political solution" to end the war.