The Kyiv Post reported yesterday that,
- Russia has granted NATO-member Germany permission to ship weapons and equipment for its force in Afghanistan overland through Russia, the Russian Foreign Ministry said on Thursday.
(HT: Afghanistan Conflict Monitor.)
So the Cold War really has ended and is not– despite the efforts of many– about to be cranked up again any time soon?
The Russians and the US have been in talks for some time about the US (or NATO, unclear) getting the right to ship non-lethal goods to Afghanistan through Russia. So this is new.
Check out the RIA Novosti links at the bottom of this Afghanistan Conflict Monitor page.
They do indeed confirm– from an authoritative Russian source– that Russia has now given this permission to both Germany and Spain.
But what will German (not NATO) troops do with weapons and equipment shipped via Russia? The 3,300 Bundeswehr members are in the quiet north, not in the volatile south, enjoying the million litres of beer and wine that are shipped to them annually, according to Der Spiegel.