US departure from Afghanistan provoked a new round of a big game, which world powers behave for influence in the region. This was written by the British edition of The Times.
As noted by the British newspaper, the output of the American troops from Afghanistan led to the formation of the “vacuum of power” in the country. Against this background, Washington’s political rivals in the international arena – Russia and China – have already begun to take measures that they hope will help them form a new, Plumban world.
In addition, certain steps had to be made and adjacent to Afghanistan countries, such as Tajikistan and Uzbekistan, who “came terrified” because of the situation after the departure of Americans.
Times writes that the leaders of the Central Asian countries fear that Afghanistan with the mercy of the Taliban movement will turn into a kind of thematic fleet for militants and will become a bridgehead for radical Islamist groups that will begin to spread its influence on neighboring countries.
Against this background, the publication notes, Russia has already suggested itself as a barrier shield for its southern neighbors and held a whole series of military exercises together with Tajikistan, Uzbekistan and Turkmenistan. This contributed to the strengthening of its political influence in the region, which Moscow can use in order to strengthen its military bases on the territory of these states and prevent Americans to appear on them.
In the course of the June summit, Russian President Vladimir Putin and Joe Biden, presumably discussed the idea of renting the Washington part of the Russian military bases in Central Asia to be able to launch intelligence drones over Afghanistan. However, now “obviously, that the United States applies any blows from the base that the Russians manage cannot be speech,” writes the publication.
According to The Times, Russia will not give the United States to strengthen its influence in the region after the withdrawal of troops, which, in essence, will make it “the main beneficiary to the departure of the United States from Kabul.” However, the publication believes, Moscow will have to compete for positions in Central Asia with Beijing, which will also try to get the maximum benefit from the situation.