Russia agreed to return to Afghanistan at the request of NATO for the first time after its withdrawal in 1989, the London-based Independent newspaper reported Wednesday.
By training the Afghan army and providing counter-narcotics troops and military helicopters, Russia again brings its military force into Afghanistan, the paper said.
NATO is now in talks with Russia over further military aid, paving the way for its annual summit next month in Lisbon, which is regarded by NATO Secretary-General Anders Fogh Rasmussen as "a new start in the relationship between NATO and Russia."
According to the newspaper, Russian and Western defense sources confirmed Wednesday that Moscow has provided five Mi-17 military helicopters to Poland for Afghanistan, with the first two to be delivered by the end of the year.
Moscow already permits the transit of certain supplies across Russian territory, and an agreement is also in place allowing NATO planes to pass through Russian airspace.
"The closer ties between Russia and NATO is a warming sign for Russian-US relations," said Li Xing, a professor from the School of Political Science and International Studies at Beijing Normal University.
"US President Barack Obama restarted Russian-US dialogue after taking office. In Moscow, Russian President Dmitry Medvedev launched a 'modernization plan' aimed at exchanging high technology with Western countries, especially the US," Li said.
"Russia's help in the Afghan war is a win-win situation for Moscow and Washington. The US needs Russia's experience and intelligence collected during the latter's invasion of Afghanistan. On the other hand, Russia does not want chaos to its south after NATO forces leave Afghanistan. Besides, Russia needs to win some control in Afghanistan, which has geographically strategic importance," Li added.
NATO has recently indicated that the NATO-wide missile defense system could one day be linked to Russian radar to give all participating countries better protection.
Philip Gordon, assistant US secretary of state for European and Eurasian affairs, said Wednesday that Washington wants to cooperate with Moscow on setting up a European missile defense shield because "Russia faces the same potential threat as Europe."
Meanwhile, Russia's Kommersant newspaper reported that Moscow wants NATO to refrain from deploying "substantial" troops in the military bloc's new member states and has drafted a legally binding agreement to that effect, though the two sides have been unable to agree on a definition of "substantial combat forces."
(source:globaltimes.cn)
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