Inside Story

Is Afghanistan new battlefield for traditional rivals?

Russia denies US accusations of funding and sending weapons to the Taliban.

US President Donald Trump says relations with Russia are at an all-time low.

He campaigned for the White House by dangling the prospect of closer ties with Moscow. But there are apparently profound differences over Syria, Crimea and now Afghanistan.

Is this the beginning of a new Cold War?

Presenter: Martine Dennis

Guests:

Mark Jacobson – former adviser to US Secretary of Defence Ash Carter

Massoumeh Torfeh – research associate at London School of Economics and former UN director of strategic communications in Afghanistan

Sergey Strokan – political analyst and columnist at Russian newspaper Kommersant