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I would prefer Russia as an ally.


CNN Political Ticker: All politics, all the time Blog Archive - U.S., Russia reach deal on Afghanistan « - Blogs from CNN.com

Posted: 11:10 AM ET
MOSCOW, Russia (CNN) — Amid U.S. President Barack Obama's trip to Russia, the two nations have concluded an agreement that will help military efforts in Afghanistan, the White House said Monday.

The deal "will enable the United States to transport its military personnel and equipment across Russia to support American and coalition forces in Afghanistan," the White House said in a written statement.

"This agreement complements a NATO-Russia arrangement, under which the United States began shipping non-lethal equipment to Afghanistan through Russian territory earlier this year."

The new transit routes will allow the U.S. military to resupply international forces more quickly, saving up to $133 million a year in fuel and other transportation costs, the White House said.


In a joint statement, Obama and Russian President Dmitry Medvedev said they are concerned about the continuing conflict in Afghanistan and reaffirmed their "commitment to the goals of the common fight against the threats of terrorism, armed extremism, and illegal drug trafficking" in the country.

"We shall continue and develop our cooperation in the interest of enhancing the capabilities of the government of Afghanistan to accomplish key socioeconomic objectives, to raise living standards, and to ensure the security of its people," the two presidents said.

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WASHINGTON - President Obama and his Russian counterpart managed to hit the "reset" button at their historic summit in Moscow Monday, but suggested the easy button was still a ways off.

Obama and President Dmitry Medvedev announced key agreements on Afghanistan and on drastic cuts in both countries' nuclear arsenals.
The also declared they've reached deals to keep talking about major sticking points: The U.S.'s plan to build a missile defense shield in Eastern Europe and Russia's treatment of neighboring Georgia.

"The relationship between Russia and the United States has suffered from a sense of drift," Obama said in an ornate Kremlin chamber. "We resolved to reset U.S.-Russian relations."

While both leaders hailed the progress made, neither was willing to predict an easy end to tensions between the two nations.
"I won't pretend that the United States and Russia agree on every issue," Obama said.

Medvedev repeatedly blamed the previous administration for worsening relations, saying it will be difficult to overcome lingering issues.
"It is not a simple job, because the backlog of problems is quite impressive," he said.
The first, tangible result the U.S. secured during the summit is permission from Moscow to fly through Russian air space while supplying the war effort in Afghanistan.

"This is a substantial contribution by Russia to our international effort, and it will save the United States time and resources in giving our troops the support that they need," said Obama.
The leaders also set a marker for how many nuclear weapons the two countries will eliminate with a new arms treaty to replace the current START agreement, which expires Dec. 5. Under the deal, each nation will cut their
strategic warheads to a range of 1,500 to 1,675 from about 2,200.
And they will reduce the number of missiles that can deliver warheads from 1,600 to between 500 and 1,100.

Obama and Medvedev also agreed to start a catch-all commission, with at least 13 working groups, to keep working on a host of military, health, cultural and economic issues.
Obama said the initiative would pave the way for better relations and trust.
"Too often the United States and Russia only communicate on a narrow range of issues, or let old habits within our bureaucracies stand in the way of progress," he said.

Some observers questioned whether Medvedev has any real power, and wondered if the talks between him and Obama was just for show before Obama talks with Prime Minister Vladimir Putin.
"My understanding is that President Medvedev is the president. Prime Minister Putin is the prime minister," said Obama, who will breakfast with Putin in the morning.

A good START: Presidents Obama and Medvedev reach U.S.-Russia nuclear accord, but differences linger



I always thought it was Putin who was the main guy.