Russia Allows Through US Supplies For Afghanistan

The cargo had entered Russia from NATO member Latvia and crossed the vast country en route to Afghanistan.

Russia has allowed a supply cargo for U.S. forces in Afghanistan through its territory by train, a sign of Moscow's growing cooperation with Washington on the issue.

A spokesman for the U.S. embassy in Moscow said the cargo had entered Russia from NATO member Latvia and crossed the vast country en route to Afghanistan.

NATO is looking for alternative supply routes for its troops fighting the Taliban as an alternative to using Pakistan, where Western military convoys are repeatedly attacked by Taliban militants.

"It is non-lethal goods, like construction equipment for example," the embassy spokesman said. "I believe it crossed into Russia on Friday."

The Kremlin has said Afghanistan is an area where it is willing to boost cooperation with the new administration of President Barack Obama, who is sending more troops to fight in Afghanistan.

Russian President Dmitry Medvedev said this month he saw the threat from radical groups in Afghanistan and Pakistan and was ready to work more with the United States on supply routes.

But Russia has sent conflicting signals over how far it is prepared to go to help the United States in Afghanistan and Moscow has made no secret of its opposition to U.S. influence in the former Soviet Union.

Kyrgyzstan, an ex-Soviet ally of Moscow's, announced last month after accepting a big Russian aid package that it was closing the last U.S. air base in Central Asia, a key staging post for the war in Afghanistan. The Kremlin denied any connection between the aid and the base closure.