The official, often described as one of the most powerful warlords in the country, wants Russia to supply armaments, military aircraft and helicopters.
"General Dostum has finally understood that military agreements with Western countries yield no results. Hence he has to ask Russia for help," Kabul-based political observer Abdoul Ghadir Mosbah told Sputnik.
"Afghan soldiers are primarily using weapons produced in Russia. It makes sense for General Dostum to consider fully equipping the army with Russian armaments. This would be more efficient than waiting for arms deliveries from the West," Abdoul Ghadir Mosbah noted.
However, Hafiz Rasekh of the Solidarity Party of Afghanistan doubts that the United States will let this happen.
The country's former president Hamid Karzai "was interested in closer ties with Russia. Today [bilateral cooperation] is out of the question. It's common knowledge that the current Afghan government is a puppet in the hands of the US. Abdullah Abdullah, Ashraf Ghani and Dostum are unable to do anything without [Washington's] permission," the politician told Sputnik.
The United States will not allow Russia to have any influence in Afghanistan, he concluded.
