Russia is preparing to establish a military airbase in Belarus, fuelling concerns over potential threats to Poland and the Baltic states. The decision is the latest example of Moscow’s determination to assert its influence beyond Russia’s borders and rebuild its military capacities, which were eroded after the collapse of the Soviet Union. By giving permission to open a Russian airbase in Belarus, the official authorities help increase offensive capabilities of Putin's Russia by pitting Belarus against other countries in the region and the Euro-Atlantic community as a whole. Also the illegal annexation of Ukrainian Crimea by Russia demonstrates the Kremlin's readiness to use its foreign military bases against the countries that allowed them to open them in their territory. For two years Nato members have complained about increasingly assertive Russian behaviour along Nato’s borders in eastern Europe. See also: http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/d0ae3166-5f84-11e5-9846-de406ccb37f2.html#axzz3mYII0zRS