Beyond the Afghan Trauma: Russia's Return to Afghanistan

Russian authorities are extremely divided about the right position to take as Moscow increasingly concerns itself with the Afghan question. They have continually criticized NATO’s decisions though, at the same time, many Russian politicians recognize that the coalition’s failure to stabilize Afghanistan would place Russia in great danger. To carry out its re-entry policies, Moscow is seeking to revitalize Russophile lobbies in Afghanistan. Russian economic stake in Afghanistan is also showing signs of growth. Regardless of the success of this strategy, it seems to have opened a new page in the history of Russian-Afghan relations, ending Moscow’s twenty-year absence from the Afghan scene.