Pskov sputnik russia is ready to cooperate with nato on afghanistan, but will not try to persuade brussels, russias permanent envoy to nato alexander grushko said thursday. Rodric braithwaite was the british ambassador to the u. Afghanistan war, 197892, conflict between anticommunist muslim afghan guerrillas mujahidin and afghan government and soviet forces. Russia is first of all interested in exploiting afghan gas and mineral resources, says avetisyan, the russian ambassador. Second, russia and pakistan both support the taliban as a bulwark against the islamic states encroachment into afghanistan. Russia provided logistical support and supply routes for the u.
This is why it has been one of the successes of current russia policy to receive russian cooperation in supplying the war effort in afghanistan. The post of russian ambassador to afghanistan is currently held by dmitry zhirnov, incumbent since 29 april 2020. The ambassador and his staff work at large in the embassy of russia in kabul. Nato chief asks russia for help in afghanistan the new york. We are determined to activate our business cooperation with afghanistan. Moscow sputnik the recently announced increase of nato troops in afghanistan is unlikely to change the overall course of the conflict in the country or contribute to defeating the taliban outlawed in russia, analysts told sputnik. Dec 21, 2017 indias membership of the shanghai cooperation organisation has increased indorussian cooperation on afghanistan, said russias new envoy to india nikolay kudashev. The united states favors a central government strengthened by the inclusion of the countrys varied factions and seen as democratic and legitimate by afghans. Dec 17, 2009 russia is ambivalent toward the nato mission in afghanistan, in part because the soviet union had a long and costly occupation of the country in the 1980s that ended with a humiliating withdrawal. How russia may approach the taliban and afghanistan in 2017. Apr 19, 2012 russian cooperation on afghanistan makes it a. Indorussian cooperation on afghanistan has increased with. Page 57 these same two experts also cogently maintain, for those who place unbridled faith in technology, war is a predictable, if disorderly phenomenon, defeat a matter of simple costbenefit analysis, and the effectiveness of any military capability a finite calculus of targets destroyed and casualties inflicted. He is currently writing a book on the statecraft of boris yeltsin and coordinating a joint project on the postcommunist state.
The most interesting aspect, in my opinion, is the authors prediction the book was written in 1986 that the war would last some 20 years and that nobody ever won a war of atrittion against russia soviet union at the time but the author keep calling it russia. Russia has a number of motivations for participation. Russian relations, nuclear arms control and nonproliferation, european and nato security challenges for the future, including afghanistan, and competition and cooperation in the arctic region. Afghanistan asks russia for support in supplies and training. The united states recognizes russias contribution to building a better future for the afghan people. The conflict had its origins in the 1978 coup that overthrew afghan president sardar muhammad daud khan, who had come to power by ousting the king in 1973. The following transcript is of a speech that peter scott delivered in russia that addresses the role that nato and western oil companies play in the former ussr states that sit next to russia. Russia and afghanistan institute for the study of war. Setting geopolitical competition aside for a moment, the main obstacle to u. Our two countries have developed excellent cooperation that supports afghan efforts to make afghanistan a peaceful, stable, and economically selfsustaining country, free of terrorism and illegal narcotics. Russia ready to cooperate with nato on afghanistan sputnik.
Moscow and washington have signed their first contract to use multipurpose russianmade helicopters in afghanistan. Russia, the ussr and afghanistan, yesterday and today. Russia ready to cooperate with us, nato over afghanistan. Long before the tragic events of september 2001, afghanistan presented one of the rare cases of u. Russias war in afghanistan by david isby goodreads. Nov 30, 2017 russia provided logistical support and supply routes for the u. On 28 february 1921, afghanistan and soviet russia signed a friendship treaty. In the great gamble, gregory feifer examines the conflict from the perspective of the soldiers on the ground. Close watchers of afghanistan may recognize the name zamir kabulov, russian president vladimir putins presidential envoy to the country.
Russia and afghanistan also share sizeable turkic ethnic minorities, such as the uzbeks and turkmen. The kremlins recent moves are seen as a shift from the role russia played during 14 years of nato presence in afghanistan one of guarded cooperation marked by frequent contradictions. History in december 1979, in the midst of the cold war, the soviet 40th army invaded afghanistan in order to prop up the communist government of the peoples democratic party of afghanistan pdpa against a growing insurgency. Whats driving russiapakistan cooperation on afghanistan. Russia urges cooperation with nato in afghanistan news from.
If russia were to withdraw its permission for the u. Russia is sharing information with the taliban to fight. Considerations in russias policy towards afghanistan to better understand russias policy towards afghanistan, we must first ask ourselves why afghanistan is important for russia. The soviet union intervened in support of the afghan communist government in its conflict with anticommunist muslim guerrillas during the afghan war 197892 and remained in afghanistan until midfebruary 1989. On march 5, a senior pakistani military official told the u. Geographical, historical and sociopolitical contexts are all involved, as are russias relations with specific international actors. The afghanistan situation will likely worsen as nato troops withdraw and focus on fighting isis, says gen. The contract is hailed by the kremlin as the first major contract in the history of the countries military cooperation. The february 17 sufi shrine attack in sehwan caused pakistan to. Ties between russia and the taliban worry afghan, u. Cooperation has been suspended since 2014 in response to russias military intervention in ukraine but political and military channels of communication remain open.
This is why it has been one of the successes of current russia policy to receive russian cooperation in supplying the war effort in. Russian intelligence services are sending fleets of fuel. These relations are independent of the great game which consists of russian british confrontations over afghanistan since 1840. Russias position on afghanistan and its growing cooperation with nato within the reset framework offer moscow an important showcase and allow it to make gestures towards washington. Kabulovs been on the scene for a while in afghanistan. List of ambassadors of russia and the soviet union to. Afghanistan asked russia for assistance in supplies, services and training for the military and police, afghanistans head of the foreign ministrys department for policies and strategic planning. For more than two decades, nato has worked to build a partnership with russia, developing dialogue and practical cooperation in areas of common interest. Jun 02, 2011 russia s essential role in the establishment of alternative transit corridors to supply u.
Russia urges cooperation with nato in afghanistan us commander accuses russia of legitimizing taliban jason ditz posted on february 9, 2017 categories news tags afghanistan, nato, russia. Russia active bilateral cooperation on a regional security problem. Afghanistan asks russia for support in supplies and. List of ambassadors of russia and the soviet union to afghanistan. Apr 16, 2017 afghanistan asked russia for assistance in supplies, services and training for the military and police, afghanistan s head of the foreign ministrys department for policies and strategic planning. Usrussia cooperation necessary but nearly impossible 23, 2017 another hindrance to the peace settlement between the afghan government and the taliban is the inability of the afghan government parties to agree on the terms of settlement. Russian cooperation on afghanistan involves competing theories about how best to achieve afghan stability. Ask the russian embassy in kabul, and the assistance is all.
Nato cooperation must be resumed to prevent chaos in. Russianus helicopter deal advances military cooperation rt. Russia is supporting the afghan taliban against nato forces through a covert programme of laundered fuel sales, a report has revealed. Russia urges cooperation with nato in afghanistan news. Nato and russia on thursday discussed a plan to give the alliance a new logistics facility on russian territory for the transfer of military cargo to and from afghanistan, diplomats said. President trump continues to remain interested in engagement and cooperation with russia.
The soviet war in afghanistan was a grueling debacle that has striking lessons for the twentyfirst century. Telegraph that islamabad would support a syriastyle russian counterterrorism operation in afghanistan if u. A symbol during what became russias long goodbye to afghanistan was the black tulip, the four. Russia is ambivalent toward the nato mission in afghanistan, in part because the soviet union had a long and costly occupation of the country in the 1980s that ended with a. More nato troops in afghanistan unlikely to change course of. The ambassador extraordinary and plenipotentiary of the russian federation to the islamic republic of afghanistan is the official representative of the president and the government of the russian federation to the president and the government of afghanistan. This intensifying cooperation on afghanistan ranked as a notable exception in the general context of troubled relations between the two states in key issue areas ranging from. Aug 17, 2017 zalmay khalilzad despite the array of twists and turns since the start of the trump administration, there is a chance that u. In central asia, as americas presence in afghanistan and syria begin to wind down, counterterrorism and security are left as the remaining confluences of interest for china and russia. Feb 21, 2016 the kremlins recent moves are seen as a shift from the role russia played during 14 years of nato presence in afghanistan one of guarded cooperation marked by frequent contradictions. The russians in afghanistan 19791989 fills in all of the blanks that the western news media couldnt when the war raged. Moscow is ready to cooperate with nato on afghanistan, but the ball is in the alliances court, according to russias envoy to the military bloc.
Russian presidents special envoy to afghanistan, zamir kabulov, has said that russia is ready to restore cooperation with the u. Indias membership of the shanghai cooperation organisation has increased indorussian cooperation on afghanistan, said russias new envoy to india nikolay kudashev. Vladimir putin, to the surprise of many members of the. This was already the case in 2001, after the events of september 11. Apr 19, 2012 nato and russia on thursday discussed a plan to give the alliance a new logistics facility on russian territory for the transfer of military cargo to and from afghanistan, diplomats said. He urges the revival of international cooperation in the region to avoid a worstcase scenario. Military strategic culture and the paradoxes of asymmetric conflict 2003. Read the fulltext online edition of russia in afghanistan and chechnya. This leaves barely any room for outside countries to do anything.
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