Putin Okays Plan for Belarus Air Base, Amid Tension Over Ukraine and Syria - World
- 9 years ago
Russian President Vladimir Putin has backed the establishment of an airbase in neighboring Belarus, the latest move by Moscow to project its military power abroad.
Saturday's announcement, which comes at a time of tension with the West over Russian involvement in Ukraine and Syria , may also signal the Kremlin's interest in keeping unpredictable Belarus within its geopolitical orbit.
The idea of setting up an airbase in the ex-Soviet republic was revealed by Russian Defence Minister Sergei Shoigu in 2013, and follows a 2009 agreement under which Russia and Belarus agreed to defend their common external frontier and airspace.
Russia has scaled back its military presence abroad, closing bases in distant Cold War allies such as Cuba and Vietnam.
However, a naval base at Tartus in Syria has recently become the focus of world attention as Russia has boosted its troop presence there in a move seen as bolstering its diplomatic influence in the region.
Saturday's announcement, which comes at a time of tension with the West over Russian involvement in Ukraine and Syria , may also signal the Kremlin's interest in keeping unpredictable Belarus within its geopolitical orbit.
The idea of setting up an airbase in the ex-Soviet republic was revealed by Russian Defence Minister Sergei Shoigu in 2013, and follows a 2009 agreement under which Russia and Belarus agreed to defend their common external frontier and airspace.
Russia has scaled back its military presence abroad, closing bases in distant Cold War allies such as Cuba and Vietnam.
However, a naval base at Tartus in Syria has recently become the focus of world attention as Russia has boosted its troop presence there in a move seen as bolstering its diplomatic influence in the region.