Defense Secretary Robert Gates said he sees a chance for better relations with Russia with a new president in the White House, but warned that Moscow is trying to “have it both ways” by offering help in Afghanistan and undermining U.S. efforts there at the same time.
Gates was meeting his Polish counterpart Thursday. Poland is one site for a planned U.S. missile shield system that Russia has aggressively protested, but the United States hopes it might work out new assurances to Russia that the system is aimed at Iran and not at Moscow.
Rhetoric on the missile system grew heated last year, and was compounded by U.S. outrage over Russia”s invasion of Georgia last summer. Both the U.S. and Russia have made overtures to ease the tension since President Barack Obama”s inauguration.
“I am hopeful that with a new start that maybe there are some opportunities with the Russians that we can pursue,” Gates said.
Making his first overseas trip as an Obama employee, the holdover defense chief said Wednesday that the change in administrations offers fresh traction for his argument that NATO allies must shoulder more of the load in Afghanistan.
The stalemated Afghan war is the dominant theme as Gates meets with fellow NATO defense ministers in Poland, where he will ask sometimes reluctant European governments to send additional troops to Afghanistan, at least for short stints ahead of national elections this summer.
