As Uzbekistan’s autocrats have completed kicking out the US military and NATO allies, it has extended a warm reception to Russia’s military. Russian news agency Interfax reports that a Russian Air Force unit could be deployed to Karshi-Khanabad Air Base soon—taking the place of US military assets. Russian airplanes could be working with Uzbek aircraft to maintain security in Central Asia, a Moscow military source told Interfax. The source added, “The Americans have left good infrastructure behind.” Nice.
Amid NATO’s continued push to ramp up air defenses in Eastern Europe, Secretary of the Air Force Frank Kendall swung by seven allied countries to boost relations last week, including those on Russia’s and Ukraine’s doorstep.