It is the position of the Kremlin that the West did not "win" the Cold War, but that the Russian people overthrew their own totalitarian Communist regime.  It is also widely held that the current Administration in Washington, and perhaps previous Administrations never officially ended the Cold War, but continued to treat Russia as a nemesis, as illigitimate, as needing "containment."  Stephen Cohen has an incredibly detailed article about this in the Nation, which I really recommend if your comments were serious.  

So if anyone needs to be told that the Cold War is over, it is us, not Russia.  I think they want it to be over and are sick of our acting like it isn't.  Which is why articles like the one Jerome has dissected are frustrating.  They seem to be written for an audience or on behalf of those interested in seeing a perpetuation of Cold War rhetoric, unable to report on Russia without all these suspicion-laden metaphors about "bluffing" and such.

Do you think Putin is an ageing ideologue?  He looks young and smashing to me.  And the Kremlin has gotten a lot of shit for not being able to come up with a solid ideology to back their actions.  I think the not knowing where they are coming from, what they "believe in," is partially to blame for our being on edge about everything they do or might do in the future.  Makes them harder to read.  

Those who can make you believe absurdities can make you commit atrocities. -Voltaire