Russian President Vladimir Putin has backed the establishment of an airbase in neighboring Belarus, the latest move by Moscow to project its military power abroad.<br />Saturday's announcement, which comes at a time of tension with the West over Russian involvement in Ukraine and Syria , may also signal the Kremlin's interest in keeping unpredictable Belarus within its geopolitical orbit.<br />The idea of setting up an airbase in the ex-Soviet republic was revealed by Russian Defence Minister Sergei Shoigu in 2013, and follows a 2009 agreement under which Russia and Belarus agreed to defend their common external frontier and airspace.<br />Russia has scaled back its military presence abroad, closing bases in distant Cold War allies such as Cuba and Vietnam.<br />However, a naval base at Tartus in Syria has recently become the focus of world attention as Russia has boosted its troop presence there in a move seen as bolstering its diplomatic influence in the region.
