Putin Rejected Role for U.S. Forces Near Afghanistan at Summit With Biden

[WarGamer]

Didn't see this story... not in the first few pages at least.

https://www.wsj.com/articles/putin-rebuffed-u-s-plans-for-bases-near-afghanistan-at-summit-with-biden-11629398848

Russian President Vladimir Putin, during a June 16 summit meeting with President Biden, objected to any role for American forces in Central Asian countries, senior U.S. and Russian officials said, undercutting the U.S. military’s efforts to act against new terrorist dangers after its Afghanistan withdrawal.

Mr. Putin told Mr. Biden at their Geneva meeting, however, that Moscow was opposed to any U.S. military role in the Central Asian region and that China would reject it as well—a position a senior Russian official reiterated this week. A senior U.S. official said the Russian president emphasized the point even though Mr. Biden didn’t seek Mr. Putin’s support for positioning U.S. military or intelligence assets in the area.

“We do not see how any form of U.S. military presence in Central Asia might enhance the security of the countries involved and/or of their neighbors. It would definitely NOT be in the interests of Russia,” Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov wrote Thursday in a statement emailed to The Wall Street Journal. “This position has not changed against the backdrop of what is transpiring in Afghanistan these days.”

[Hortensis]

1. Russia and China have been holding joint anti-terrorism exercises a few time zones

away from Afghanistan, but they're believed to be an obvious message to the Taliban. Both nations are worried that the Taliban's Islamic fundamentalism will cross their borders.

In any case, big surprise that they, who both share borders with Afghanistan, don't want the U.S. there.

[WarGamer]

2. GOOD! Let them deal with the headaches.

[Hortensis]

3. :) Yes, and Afghanistan's always been a really hideous headache.

[calimary]

4. This!

[The Unmitigated Gall]

5. Actually, I doubt it...

Pootie would LOVE the U.S. to remain in Afghanistan, expending our lives and treasure endlessly; he's disappointed Biden actually managed to bring it all to a stop. Now Afghanistan is his headache and China's as well.