Putin: Afghanistan Fueling Regional Instability

Calls for Closer Ties With Central Asian Allies

Russian President Vladimir Putin today unveiled plans to increase security forces along their southeastern frontier, and closer military cooperation with former Soviet republics in Central Asia.

Putin cited the situation in Afghanistan as a need for more security, saying NATO had “done practically nothing to root out drug production in Afghanistan” and warning that he sees the security situation getting dramatically worse beyond 2014.

The security program will work through the Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO), though Putin also raised the prospect of getting the Shanghai Cooperation Organization involved.

Russia has endorsed the NATO Afghan occupation and has sought to play a role in the post-2014 security inside Afghanistan as well, though after their own disastrous 1980’s occupation it is unlikely Russia will deploy any troops inside Afghanistan.

Author: Jason Ditz

Jason Ditz is Senior Editor for Antiwar.com. He has 20 years of experience in foreign policy research and his work has appeared in The American Conservative, Responsible Statecraft, Forbes, Toronto Star, Minneapolis Star-Tribune, Providence Journal, Washington Times, and the Detroit Free Press.