Afghanistan's Significance for Russia

Regional or Global Strategy?

Author(s): Natasha Kuhrt
Editor(s): Stephen Aris, Matthias Neumann, Robert Orttung, Jeronim Perovic, Heiko Pleines, Hans-Henning Schröder
Series: Russian Analytical Digest (RAD)
Issue: 80
Pages: 5-8
Publisher(s): Center for Security Studies (CSS), ETH Zurich; Research Centre for East European Studies, University of Bremen; Institute of History, University of Basel
Publication Year: 2010

Afghanistan is of great significance for Russia, primarily in terms of security but also as part of its wider strategy to assert its influence in Central Asia. Russia is promoting the CSTO as a regional security force, but at the present time it is not capable of bringing security to Afghanistan. As a result, in spite of reservations about the strategy adopted by ISAF, Russia is hopeful that NATO's presence in Afghanistan is successful, and Moscow thus continues to provide the ISAF operation with support.

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