tensions

Obama Cancels Meeting With Putin as Snowden Adds to Tensions

President Obama has canceled a planned summit with the Russian president, Vladimir V. Putin, senior administration officials said Wednesday, a response to frustration with the Russian government for refusing to send Edward J. Snowden to the United States to face charges of leaking national security secrets.

The move is also a reflection of growing tensions between the two countries on a series of other issues, including Mr. Putin’s continuing support of Bashar al-Assad, the president of Syria.

Mr. Obama is scheduled to be in St. Petersburg for a meeting of the Group of 20 set for Sept. 5 and 6, and had planned to go from there to meet Mr. Putin.

http://www.nytimes.com/2013/08/08/world/europe/obama-cancels-visit-to-putin-as-snowden-adds-to-tensions.html?emc=edit_na_20130807

以前、先生が授業で指摘され、Asashi Weeklyでも述べられていましたが、主に複数で用いられるtensionsは「緊張」は「緊張」なのですが、とくに「(情勢・関係などの)緊張(状態)」を表すことを思い出しました。
Longmanは"the feeling that exists when people or countries do not trust each other and may suddenly attack each other or start arguing"と定義しています。ここでは米ソがSnowden氏の扱いをめぐってお互いに不信感を募らせた結果だということが分かります。（Hatahata）