Sphere of Influence

This was an imperative Cold War stance by both sides in order to prevent accidental  Global nuclear war. So, though there might be several proxy wars going on simultaneously, it was always important for the two Cold War sides not to be "Seen" in public militarily confronting each other. So though the KGB and the CIA might be militarily confronting each other in more minor ways every day, their armies and navies could not appear to be confronting each other in some kind of battle situation without the danger of triggering a nuclear war.

So, for example, Russia (sort of) stayed out of the Korean War (but China didn't). And Russia sort of stayed out of the Viet Nam WAr also. Just like the U.S. (sort of) stayed out of the Soviet Afghanistan War in the 1980sd (except for the CIA which gave ground to air shoulder fired missiles to Osama Bin Laden who was then a CIA Mujahadeen operative in Afghanistan against the Soviets). Giving the Mujahadeen shoulder fired missiles basically ended the Soviet Occupation of Afghanistan. What I find paradoxical is that we are there today the last 12 years with not much to show for being there either. So, Asymmetrical warfare worldwide is now prevalent and secretly expanding daily instead with drones and Seal team strikes like were successful on Osama Bin Laden. This is the secret war that has been going on for about 5 years now worldwide. But, this war is not against Russia or China but against terrorists and drug Lords who are one in the same now worldwide.

So, no armies or Navies of the Soviet Union or the United States could be seen publicly fighting anywhere on earth during the Cold War without jeapordizing world peace and by possibly starting a nuclear war.

This is why Newbie Republicans in the Senate and House (since 1990) do not get what is going on apparently. Or they think they can play to the younger Republican Vote that came up into adulthood since 1990. But, this kind of thinking is dangerous because of where we are today.

Though we might use economic sanctions against Russia just like we have Iran, sending in a standing Army into Poland or any other scared former Eastern Block nation isn't necessarily the best idea. But still, some method must be found to keep Russia from using this same Crimean technique for taking back land into the Russian Empire ongoing sort of like Hitler did with most of Europe in the 1930s and 1940s.

Also, what is happening in the Ukraine and in Syria is also a smoke screen for the larger powers like Russia, China and the U.S. for other even more disturbing things happening mostly in secret worldwide during these times.