NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg said on December 1 the 12,000-strong non-combat mission dubbed 'Resolute Support' will train, advise and assist Afghanista's law-enforcement, security and military personnel.
According to the US Department of Defense, the NATO-led Resolute Support mission will substitute NATO's International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) Joint Command mission that officially ended on December 9.
Russia has repeatedly stated that the deployment of any foreign contingents in Afghanistan should not be allowed without the resolution of the United Nation's Security Council. Moscow stressed that all the new missions to Afghanistan should provide official reports on their activities.
On September 30, Afghanistan signed a long-term security agreement with the United States and NATO authorizing the presence of 9,800 American and at least 2,000 NATO troops in the country after the end of 2014.
