Recently, observers of the international scene have noted the declining state of Russian democracy. While it has been over 15 years since the collapse of the Soviet Union and the emergence of democracy behind from behind the “Iron Curtain,” it seems increasingly likely that the democratic Renaissance has come to an end.

Vladimir Putin has made no secret of his desire to return to the command-and-control years of the Soviet era. For example, he has interfered with the legitimate right of the Russian people to protest. Furthermore, he has clamped down on business owners, such as Mikhail Khodorkovsky, who was the founder and CEO of the Yukos oil company, and taken control of these major sectors of the Russian ecomony–under the pretext that these companies owed back taxes to the Russian government.

One of the most widely recognized anti-democratic signals from the Russian administration is of course the mystery surrounding the untimely death of Alexander Litvinenko–the former KGB agent who died from radioactive poisoning in London last year. While there has been no clear evidence to suggest that the Russian government was behind his death, there have been strange signals from the Russian government that suggest they have become wary of the West–namely, their refusal to extradite Andrei Lugovoi, the man that Scotland Yard considers as the prime suspect.

The larger significance? Political trends in one of the world’s top economies affect U.S. foreign policy. So while this country may now be focused on fighting “The Global War on Terror,” it is wise to consider that at some point we may be fighting a Cold War II, if we don’t do something to encourage reforms.