The Biden administration has begun holding military exercises with countries that are part of a military alliance led by Russia, Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO).
Tajikistan is hosting the drills, called “Regional Cooperation 22,” while US Central Command is hosting them, according to the State Department. Tajikistan, Kyrgyzstan and Kazakhstan – each member of Russia’s collective defense organization, similar to the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) – are participating.
“Regional cooperation is an annual exercise aimed at strengthening multinational stability operations, countering terrorism, and developing joint cooperation and coordination among Central and South Asian countries, the United States and other countries. other participating countries,” said the US Embassy in Tajikistan. statement.
Mongolia, Pakistan and Uzbekistan are also participating in the exercises, which are scheduled to last until August 20.
The drills have taken place every year since 2004, with some interruptions due to the COVID-19 pandemic, according to the State Department. But news of the joint drills on the table came as Russian President Vladimir Putin and his allies pleaded with CSTO member states — including those participating in the drills — to Better support for Russia when it confronts NATO and its Western allies in the war in Ukraine, and to better defend its turf against NATO influence. Just this past May, Putin held a summit with CSTO members in which his allies urged member states to be more supportive of Moscow, while warning of what Russia has long held. seen as NATO’s growing sphere of influence.
At the time, Belarusian leader and longtime Putin ally Alexander Lukashenko said: “Russia should not fight alone against NATO expansion.
To show how important Tajikistan’s support is to Putin, Putin made his first visit to Tajikistan since the invasion of Ukraine. The summer visit is intended to allow Putin and his counterpart, the President of Tajikistan, Emomali Rahmon, to discuss “issues related to military cooperation”.
The drills, in Russia’s notorious backyard, could run counter to Putin’s goal of bolstering his collective defense against NATO — US Ambassador to Tajikistan John Mark Pommersheim said The exercises are “strengthening relationships with our partners in the region. “
According to the Pentagon, in previous years, training included transport operations, close-quarters training, raids, improvised explosive device detection, and mounted maneuvers. This year includes training in military decision-making processes and other training, according to the National Guard, in June and July, soldiers worked on countering improvised explosive devices. regime in Tajikistan.
Pommersheim called on nations and troops to participate in exercises focused on “peaceful responses to global challenges, information sharing and security cooperation” in the coming days.
And after the joint exercise is over, the United States will conduct one-on-one exercises with only Tajikistan at the Fakhrabad Training Center, according to US Central Command.
Recently Putin also worked to disseminate the story that he and his allies are united in their vision that a unipolar world – in which the United States leads – can no longer be the status quo.
“Russia sincerely cherishes the friendship and trust relationship that has been really strong in history.“
However, Putin’s global influence has been shaken in recent days. Russia faces a European Union bans crude oil imports in the coming months, this could affect its oil revenue. Just in the past few days, EU bans Russian coal effective. Latvia announces its parliament has moved to Designate Russia as a state sponsor of terrorismRussian lawmakers and officials reacted vehemently.
In response to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, countries around the globe have imposed sanctions on Moscow targeting key industries and Russian oligarchs, leaving Russia isolated. on the world stage. And as the consequences have settled for Russia’s defense industrial base, Putin has worked to portray Russia’s weapons supply as well. Earlier this week, Mr Putin announced his country’s weapons were the standout on the world market and countries around the world were clamoring to import Russian weapons, which he claimed were decades ahead of him. century compared with the supply of other countries.
And as soon as the exercises between the United States and some of Russia’s key military allies began, Putin worked to disseminate the narrative that Russia maintained strong “real” relationships with countries around the world. world.
“Russia sincerely cherishes its historically strong and truly trusting friendly relations with Latin American, Asian and African countries,” Putin said at an arms exhibition earlier this week.
