MOSCOW, Russia - It's like a flashback to the old days of the cold war, isn't it? Russian nuclear warships probing U.S. naval defenses, anti-submarine aircraft being deployed by the Kremlin in a country vehemently opposed to Washington, in this case the Venezuela of Hugo Chavez.

Russian warships are being deployed in the Caribbean.

Of course, Moscow says it's announcement of naval exercises with Caracas is in no way related to the escalating tensions with the U.S. over Russia's invasion of the former soviet state of Georgia last month, a U.S. ally and enthusiastic NATO-wannabe. But does anyone really believe that?

What I do know is that Russians see this as a totally legitimate answer to the appearance of U.S. ships in the Black Sea to deliver aid to war ravaged Georgia (many Russians are convinced the aid deliveries are a cover to rearm the tiny country).

Oddly enough, I was chatting to Vladimir Putin about this very issue the other day.

In fact, it was the only time I've ever chatted with Russia's powerful prime minister, and the first time CNN has chatted with the former KGB agent in eight years!

Still, chat we did, about those U.S. ships.

Here we are in Sochi, he said, and not 100 km (60 miles) away from us, your warships are patrolling. These same ships carry missiles, Putin said, whose range is 100 km (60 miles).

How should Russia feel about this, he asked. These are not our ships off your coast!

Well maybe Putin now wants Americans to know how it feels.

Before you run for your nuclear bunker, though, remember we are not on the brink of nuclear holocaust, even if Russia's naval squadron, of four or five rusting ships, ever makes it to the Caribbean Sea.

Things may be feeling much chillier than before in relations between Russia and the West, especially the United States.

But make no mistake, this is still no cold war.

MOSCOW, Russia – Something strange and unexpected is happening in Russia. In the aftermath of the war across the border in Georgia, I am suddenly being granted access to the country's leadership. Remember, this is nation where Western journalists are barely given the time of day by the Kremlin. That is until now.

Matthew Chance interviews Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin.

The call to interview Russian president Dmitry Medvedev came on Tuesday afternoon, out of the blue (although we of course have long standing requests in for a meeting). By Wednesday morning, we were on a two-hour flight from Moscow to the Black Sea city of Sochi, with an appointment to have a sit down, one-on-one, interview. We have never interviewed Medvedev since he was elected in March, so we jumped at the chance.

We were corralled into the Sochi press centre, told we had four hours to setup our gear, and would be granted seven minutes of the president's time.

As I struggled to decide which questions I should ask in such a short window, Medvedev appeared on Russian state television, somberly announcing his unexpected decision to recognize as independent states the breakaway Georgian regions of South Ossetia and Abkhazia - obscure territories which swept to prominence earlier this month when Russian and Georgia went to war over them. For a full transcript of the interview with Vladimir Putin, click here.

Minutes later, Medvedev was sitting in front of me, explaining why he had recognized them in the face of international, in particular American, opposition.

Okay, good day's work. But there was more: the phone rang and on the end of the line was Dmitry Peskov, Vladimir Putin's press flak. The main man, Prime Minister Putin, wanted to give us an exclusive. A full-length, sitdown interview.

I should emphasize at this point how big this is for us. Vladimir Putin has virtually single-handedly transformed Russia into a powerful, confident, maybe even aggressive, state. He is a former KGB spy, and the former Russian president who eased his protege and hand-picked successor into the Kremlin job. He denies it, but word is he, not Medvedev, still calls the shots in Russia.

And what's more, he rarely gives interviews. Very rarely. CNN hasn't spoken to him for more than seven years. To get him now, at a time like this, when Russia is so prominent in the minds of Americans and the world, was incredible, fascinating.

And Putin doesn't disappoint. The guy is short, stocky, a KGB-trained judo black belt with a cold stare, and his critics would say, more than a little blood on his hands. He made Russia's ruthless crackdown on Chechen separatists into an almost personal vendetta.

CNN's Matthew Chance and Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin are filmed during their recent interview.

He doesn't care for the U.S. much at the moment, either. One of the first things he told me is that he blames Washington for the war in Georgia - for actually orchestrating it to help a particular candidate in the presidential contest. He wouldn't say which one, but the Kremlin has been increasingly shifty about John McCain and what they see as his anti-Russian rants.

There was more, too - the stunning accusation that Americans helped Georgian forces fight the Russians this month. Apparently, some Russian soldiers found a US passport after wiping out some Georgian special forces unit in South Ossetia. What was he doing there? The White House insists Putin is talking rubbish.

But the next revelation is definitely true. As the world debates the possibility of economic sanctions on Russia, Russia has announced what amount to a few of its own on America: Putin says 19 US poultry exports have been found to be in breach of Russian health and safety standards and have been banned. Another 29 are on a watch list. No big deal, I suppose, but not great news in such an economic downturn.

Putin said it had nothing to do with the diplomatic tensions - but I'm not sure anyone entirely believes him.

Anyway, point is, things have changed - and here's why, from a source who knows: Putin was in Beijing watching the opening ceremony when the war in Georgia erupted. He was constantly watching CNN to see how the conflict was being reported. And he didn't like it. He hated it. He hated seeing Mikheil Saakashvili appealing for Western support, he hated that there was no one on TV putting across the Russian version of events.

Why was there no one? Because there is no access in Russia, we were not allowed to go to the Russian side of the conflict zone. No Russian officials were available to talk to us, as usual. Georgia played the media game, Russia did not.

A decision was taken then to change tack, to engage with the Western media, to aggressively argue Russia's side. The Kremlin, which constantly complains of a bad press, could have learned this lesson years ago. But hopefully they see the value of us now. Doesn't mean we agree with them, or that appearing on CNN will convert the West to Russia's line.

But at least they are in the debate now - and that can't be bad for Russia

YEREVAN, Georgia – The first thing I did when I learned CNN was sending me to Tbilisi was pull out a map. Not only had I never been to Georgia, but to make matters more difficult I was flying into neighboring Armenia.I would have to drive the six hours from Yerevan, Armenia, across the border into Georgia. The Russians had destroyed the military airfield near the airport and no airline was flying.

When I landed in Yerevan my driver didn't speak English. Not a word. He had no idea how to get out of Yerevan, nor for that matter how to get on any road heading north. He was Georgian, and kept using the wood ‘boom.' Always a positive sign. We stopped maybe 15 times in an hour asking for directions before being righted and set on our way.

There's nothing on the drive but mountains and little towns, hundreds that can't have more than $5,000 worth of money being thrown through them. The road is like something from a horror novel, coming down to one lane at times beside a cliff with a huge drop-off (a little yellow sign showing this is coming: which is supposed to save you from your crazy driver).

If you're planning a family road trip – I'd avoid the entire area.

But none of that was actually in my head. I was thinking about the map – and where I was geographically. I knew once I got to Tbilisi there were going to be tens of thousands displaced – thousands dead and dying. The checkpoint at the border told me that. I knew that would be the part we could show people on video.

But I was geographically in what has become potentially the prime piece of real estate on the globe.

450 miles separate the Black Sea from the Caspian Sea from West to East. I was driving through the center of it from South to North. This tiny spot of land is only a bit larger than the UK and separates Russia from half of the world. Armenia, Azerbaijan and Georgia separate Saudi Arabia and the surrounding gulf countries, Iran, Iraq and Syria from giant Russia.

Partly because of exactly what was happening now – a giant Russian invasion of Georgia, it's been nearly impossible to get more than a handful of pipelines up and running. The second longest one in the world (pumping 1.2M barrels a day) was hit, set on fire – and shut down for more than a week.

The media hits hard on the Middle East, how its conflicts are all oil related. The thing is; I work in the Middle East, and I know I'll be back here in this tiny, but important sliver of land... and I'm sure that not so ironically, the taps on the pipelines will be off then too.

TSKHINVALI, Georgia - CNN is unpopular in Moscow right now. I met plenty of people there who were happy to tell me so. But we're liked even less in South Ossetia, especially among Russian soldiers.

So I was really happy to learn that while staying in South Ossetia's capital Tskhinvali we'd be sharing a tent with a Russian infantry unit and their weapons.

It turns out they like a drink and forcefully telling western journalists their coverage of this conflict is one sided.

My roommates are not alone in that view. There is an almost universal belief among Russians and Ossetians that the Western media have followed their politicians and are siding with Georgia.

They ask passionately: Why does no one criticize Georgia for attacking South Ossetia first? Why doesn't the world care about our suffering?

In South Ossetia's capital Tskhinvali there is much evidence of a brutal war fought on its streets. Women cry as they tell me of the night Georgian shells fell on their homes. Many of those homes are now rubble. Many were gutted by fire. Whole neighborhoods are gone.

The civilian death toll is still being debated but there are lots of people wearing black here.

South Ossetians say the Russians are their saviors. They drove out the Georgian army. They've launched a massive relief and rebuilding operation. And now Russian peacekeepers have built fortified checkpoints deep within Georgia to keep its artillery beyond striking range.

The most forward Russian peacekeeping post is just a few minutes drive away from the major Georgian town of Gori.

Here Russia has built high dirt walls and surrounded them with a moat and razor wire. Russian tanks are dug in with their turrets pointing south. And Russian soldiers stop and question every Georgian who wants to pass.

I asked one soldier why Russia is staying in Georgia. His reply: "This is not Georgia. This is not South Ossetia. This is the security zone."

The security zone extends around 15 kilometers, or nine miles, from South Ossetia into Georgia. Russia says it's always been allowed under the existing peacekeeping agreement between the two countries.

It means whole Georgian communities whose homes were scarred or destroyed during the Russian advance, must now live with a permanent Russian military presence.

"Why were you shooting at us?" a Georgian man asked a Russian soldier.

"You were shooting at us too," he replied.

TBILISI, Georgia - After a week of no sleep in Tbilisi Georgia, covering the war with Russia, I was finally checking in for my flight to Munich last Monday. All I could think about was getting on the plane, and getting some much needed sleep. Sleep is not necessarily conducive to war zone coverage.

Biden has been named as Obama's running mate.

While waiting for my flight to board, I sat in the business lounge enjoying a relaxing drink; finally, an opportunity to simply listen to my iPod and clear my head. All of a sudden I look up – and walking towards me is Joseph Biden, the Democratic senator from Delaware.

Are you freaking kidding me, I thought?

I wandered over, introduced myself - said: "Senator, my name is Cal Perry, I'm a reporter from CNN and just wanted to say hello." He immediately smiled and he then asked me to sit with him while we waited for the flight. Strange I thought - for someone who was at the time involved in a heated US debate as to whether he could potentially be the VP candidate for Barack Obama.

But he quickly directed the conversation to Iraq - a place I spent four years covering for CNN. He peppered me with questions: How are things going there do you think? Who are the most important and reliable politicians in your opinion? Do you think Abdul Aziz Hakim is the man who wields the most power? He clearly already knew that I had spent time there, and wanted to get straightforward opinion from a reporter.

Which is unusual, because as reporters, we keep our own opinions to ourselves, just reporting the facts. Being asked my opinion was a bit awkward - but I gave it to him anyway.

Then, like any reporter would: I started in on him ...

He told me about his trips to Iraq, saying how amazed he was at the bravery of US troops, how young they are, and how they have to make life and death decisions on a daily basis.

We spoke at length about combat hospitals in Iraq - places I've spent a great deal of time. You could see it in his eyes –  he clearly cares so deeply for the young U.S. men and women stationed overseas.

He mentioned to me: "I was only 29 years old when I was elected to the U.S. Senate" then comparing the decisions he's had to make in the Senate with the decisions the troops make under combat conditions. He made it sound like there is no comparison - that what they do, is far and above any call of duty.

Just before his aide came overand said "Senator, it's time to go back to the United States" I asked him the obvious question: Do you think you'll be named as running mate for Barack Obama? His answer was brief, but it came with a smile on his face, "that question is the reason I'm not doing interviews while in Georgia."

As I boarded my plane with Senator Biden I could not help think: Did I just meet the next Vice President of the United States?

If so, how random, how cool.

EDITOR'S NOTE: A reference to Joe Biden being a military veteran was removed from an earlier vesion of this blog.