KRAKOW, Poland — Defense Secretary Robert Gates said he sees a chance for better relations with Russia with a new president in the White House, but warned that Moscow is trying to “have it both ways” by offering help in Afghanistan and undermining U.S. efforts there at the same time.
Gates signed a new military cooperation agreement with Poland today, formalizing ties between the special forces operations of both countries. Gates praised Poland’s willingness to send troops into harm’s way, including about 1,600 in Afghanistan.
“As an old Cold Warrior it is a true honor to be able to sign this document on behalf of the United States,” Gates told Polish Defense Minister Bogdan Klich.
Poland is one site for a planned U.S. missile shield system that Russia has aggressively protested, but neither Gates nor Klich mentioned it during a brief signing ceremony.
Rhetoric on the missile system grew heated last year, and was compounded by U.S. outrage over Russia’s invasion of Georgia last summer. Both the U.S. and Russia have made overtures to ease the tension since President Barack Obama’s inauguration. The United States hopes it might work out new assurances to Russia that the system is aimed at Iran and not at Moscow.
“I am hopeful that with a new start that maybe there are some opportunities with the Russians that we can pursue,” Gates said earlier as he flew to Europe for a gathering of NATO defense ministers.
Gates, the lone holdover from the Cabinet of Republican George W. Bush, added caveats to his once ample support of the missile defense plan. The idea was a Bush favorite, but the Obama administration wants to make sure the system is reliable and doesn’t detract from other security priorities. That has been read in Europe as a sign that the plan could be scrapped or scaled back.
“We have to wait as the American administration works out its view on the future of the missile defense project,” Poland’s Klich said after the meeting.
“What’s left for us to do: To underline and remind people that Poland accepted the American proposal, that last year a deal was signed … and that the agreement binds both sides, and I stressed that during today’s talks,” Klich said on TVN24 television.
The missile shield is not part of the NATO agenda, which is dominated by concerns about a resurgent Taliban insurgency and logistical problems in the NATO-led Afghanistan war. The United States is the largest contributor to NATO’s force of 50,000, and has troops stationed in Afghanistan separately. Obama this week approved sending another 17,000.
Gates said Wednesday that the change in administrations offers fresh traction for his argument that NATO allies must shoulder more of the load in Afghanistan.
“It is a new administration and the administration is prepared … to make additional commitments to Afghanistan,” Gates said. “But there clearly will be expectations that the allies must do more as well.”
The era of good feeling that Obama carries globally could also smooth the way to a better partnership with Russia on Afghanistan and other issues, Gates suggested, although he said Russian behavior is still troubling.
“I think that the Russians are trying to have it both ways with respect to Afghanistan in terms of Manas,” Gates said, referring to a strategic U.S. air base in Kyrgyzstan, a former Soviet republic.
Kyrgyzstan’s parliament voted today to close the base that resupplies military operations in Afghanistan. If Kyrgyz President Kurmanbek Bakiyev signs the bill and an eviction notice follows, the United States will have 180 days to vacate the base.
Bakiyev unexpectedly called this month for closure of the Manas base, a transit point for 15,000 troops and 500 tons of cargo each month to and from Afghanistan. Russia is widely assumed to be behind the decision, although Moscow denies it.
“On one hand you’re making positive noises about working with us in Afghanistan and on the other hand you’re working against us in terms of that airfield which is clearly important to us,” Gates said.
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