Relations between Russia and the West, which have become much cooler after Vladimir Putin returned to the presidential post in March 2012, have worsened with a new scandal. 

Russia's Speaker of Parliament Sergey Naryshkin, who was supposed to lead the Russian delegation to the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE) session, said on Thursday that he would skip the session, as he thinks his suggestions won't be heard.

"As the day of the opening session approached we felt that my strategic suggestions wouldn't be heard by some of the heads of the Parliamentary assembly and some of Russian-phobic leaders and delegations," Naryshkin declared.

The new PACE resolution might contain a demand to hand control over Russia's obligations to the Councils of ministers of Europe, which would mean tougher control over Russia meeting the requirements of the Parliamentary Assembly. 

According to Russian officials, the increased levels of control over Russia are "unprecedented." "This would complicate cooperation between Russia and the Council of Europe and will be very negatively perceived by Russia," said Alexander Pushkov, the head of State Duma's committee on international affairs. He added that such suggestions usually come from "Russia-phobic" delegations. He then softened his stance by adding : "No one is going to boycott the sessions, the Russian delegation will arrive there on the weekend." 

There are no objective reasons for a political demarche in response to PACE's desire to strengthen control over Russian human rights and freedoms. In the end, Russia voluntarily agreed to join the Council of Europe and agreed to  its rules. Moreover, Russia is one of the five largest countries who are the members of the Assembly, it has the maximum 18 permanent delegates. 

It is at least strange to be surprised at PACE attempts to strengthen control over Russia. Recently the Russian authorities have adopted a series anti-democratic bills that tighten rally rules, compare pro-opposition non-governmental organizations with foreign spies, establish censorship in the Internet, return criminal prosecution for "slander." 

This has all would eventually lead to confrontation with the West.

The USA is planning to adopt the "Magnitskiy list"  banning entry to some officials who are linked with the death of Sergey Magnitskiy. In response, Russia has closed the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) after it helped some of Russia's NGOs. Anti-americanism and anti-Western stance is felt in speeches and statements of most Russian officials. 

In this situation the "global relationship frost" might be followed by a cold war.

Russian authorities are going to use the West as its main enemy in propaganda. The West has lost all illusions about the possible democratization of the Russian regime that was born during Dmitry Medvedev's presidency.