Another expert believes that such cooperation is possible
Moscow. September 28. INTERFAX - Moscow will not agree to the deployment of US troops on Russian bases in Tajikistan and Kyrgyzstan, says retired Colonel-General Leonid Ivashov, former head of the Main Directorate for International Military Cooperation of the Russian Defense Ministry.
"Russia should never agree to this and should not even negotiate on this topic," Ivashov told Interfax on Tuesday.
He said that the appearance of the US military on the bases of the Russian Federation and even negotiations on this topic may be negatively perceived by China and the states of Central Asia.
Ivashov said that it would be advantageous for the United States to deploy more troops in Central Asia after leaving Afghanistan, including to control Russia and deter China.
Another expert believes that the deployment of the US military on Russian bases in Central Asia can become a "territory of cooperation."
"In this case, both sides will show that they are not aggressive, that they are ready to cooperate, especially when it comes to fighting terrorism," the chief researcher of the Institute of World Economy and International Relations (IMEMO) told Interfax on Tuesday Alexey Malashenko of the Russian Academy of Sciences.
The American edition of The Wall Street Journal, citing sources, previously reported that the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff of the US Armed Forces, Mark Milli, discussed with the chief of the Russian General Staff, Valery Gerasimov, the possibility of using the US military bases of the Russian Federation in Central Asia.
Moscow does not comment on this information.
"I do not comment on this topic in any way," said Dmitry Peskov, the press secretary of the President of the Russian Federation.
Washington has no plans yet to use Russian bases in Central Asia, U.S. Ambassador to Kazakhstan William Moser said on Tuesday.
Gerasimov and Milli held talks on September 22 in Finland. "During the meeting, the military leaders discussed issues of mutual interest, including reducing the risks of incidents during military activities. The meeting was constructive," the Russian Defense Ministry said on September 22.
Russian-American military contacts took place after the withdrawal of US troops and their allies from Afghanistan, the Taliban movement (a terrorist group banned in the Russian Federation) came to power in Afghanistan.
On September 17, Russian President Vladimir Putin called the withdrawal of US troops from Afghanistan "a hasty withdrawal, if not flight."
The 201st Russian military base operates in Tajikistan. This is the largest military facility in Russia (part of the Central Military District) outside its borders. The Russian military reported that the base was being reinforced with new weapons, including infantry fighting vehicles and tanks.
