Relations between the West and Russia remain at their lowest since the Cold War, on the first anniversary of the start of the Ukraine conflict. But all bridges have not yet been burned, analysts say.

Washington and Brussels have imposed sanctions as part of a sea change in ties with Moscow, while a defiant Vladimir Putin has rejected accusations of Russian involvement in the fighting.

A fragile ceasefire has now held in Ukraine since February, but Europe's relationship with Russia is stuck in the deep freeze.

"Trust is just not there," Judy Dempsey of the Carnegie Europe think-tank told AFP.

A NATO diplomat was more scathing.

"The Russians have shown complete revisionism about international rules. That has created a confidence problem and in fact the situation is much more uncertain than during the Cold War," the diplomat said.

>>Read: Russia hosts far-right gathering

Two decades of Western assumptions about a largely cooperative post-Soviet Russia -- the Georgia war of 2008 notwithstanding -- were thrown into turmoil by Moscow's response to the Ukraine crisis.

Outraged Western nations were quick to take action after Russia's annexation of Crimea in March 2014, followed by the start of the fighting between pro-Kremlin rebels and government forces on 6 April April.

Politically, they expelled Russia from the G8 club of industrialised nations, while economically the US and EU imposed first targeted individual sanctions and then, after the shooting down of Malaysia Airlines flight MH17, broader economic sanctions.

Read more:
West's ties with Russia frozen after year of Ukraine conflict