Why Is Russia Offering An Air Base To NATO?

Sergei Lavrov. © RIA Novosti. Vladimir Fedorenko

US-Russia 'Reset' Gets A Boost With Russian Offer Of Airbase -- Christian Science Monitor

Russia has made an unprecedented offer that indicates a desire to improve ties ahead of the US withdrawal from Afghanistan.

In an unprecedented move, Russia is offering NATO the use of a Russian airbase for aircraft refueling and the transit of "non lethal" supplies and personnel. Moscow says the offer is an effort to ease the strain on the alliance's increasingly restricted supply chain to forces in Afghanistan.

The tentative offer was described yesterday by Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov during a speech to the Russian Duma, the lower house of parliament. It could see up to 30 NATO cargo flights a day come through the Vostochny airport in the Volga region of Ulyanovsk, en route to or from Kabul, about 2,000 miles away.

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More News On Russia's Offer Of An Air Base To NATO For Aircraft Refueling And The Transit Of "Non Lethal" Supplies

Russia May Let NATO Use Airfield as Afghan Hub -- New York Times
Russia may let US and its NATO allies use Russian base for Afghan transit under new deal -- Washington Post/AP
Russia May Allow NATO to Move Troops, Cargo to Afghanistan Through Airport on Volga -- Voice of America
Russia may give NATO a base for Afghan supply runs -- Reuters
Russia Considers Lending Base for NATO Afghan Operations -- Voice of America
Russia Could Provide Air Base To U.S.-Led Coalition -- Radio Free Europe
Gov't Yet to Decide on Ulyanovsk NATO Transit Base - Lavrov -- RIA Novosti
Rogozin Responds to Fears of 'NATO Base’ in Russia -- RIA Novosti
Uncertain World: Russia - U.S. - Back to Business? -- Fyodor Lukyanov, RIA Novosti

My Comment: If U.S./NATO forces leave Afghanistan, there is a real fear that Afghanistan will probably enter a period of civil war .... a civil war that will impact all of Russia's Central Asian neighbors and close allies. So ..... is Russia is changing their policies towards U.S./NATO involvement in Afghanistan .... you betcha. Russia is now realizing that once these NATO forces are gone, Russia will find itself in the uncomfortable position of being propelled to enter this "vacuum" and to make decisions on what to do in this part of Asia on the behalf of their central Asian allies .... and doing it without the deep resources of NATO and the U.S.

So .... the bottom line .... my Russian sources are telling me that there is now a realization in Moscow that Afghanistan is going to be a mess for a very long time .... and instead of always being critical and putting obstacles on NATO involvement in Afghanistan, it is now the time to follow a different and more cooperative/constructive path.