By Jiang Guopeng

The Obama administration and the Kremlin have been seeking a detente recently by setting aside disputes and showing friendly gestures to each other.

A lack of mutual trust, however, will hinder the two major players on the international stage from seeking a detente for years.

For US President Barack Obama, who has placed the issue of Afghanistan atop of his political agenda, the latest frustration has come from Bishkek, where the Kyrgyz parliament decided Thursday to close a vital US air base at Manas.

About 15,000 people and 500 tons of cargo monthly move in and out of the Manas air base, the only US facility in central Asia and a key logistic center for American-led operations in Afghanistan.

The decision to close the base, in Washington's views, was made under pressure from the Kremlin, although Russia has voiced willingness to allow the transit of US non-military supplies to Afghanistan through its territory.

"On one hand you're making positive noises about working with us in Afghanistan and on the other hand you're working against us in terms of that airfield which is clearly important to us," Defense Secretary Robert Gates said in Krakow, Poland, where Washington has been planning to deploy a missile shield system.

Obama has approved the first combat deployment of his presidency, calling an additional 17,000 troops in the coming months to Afghanistan.

The deployment, which will begin in May and will increase US forces in Afghanistan by about 50,000 by mid-summer, has presented the administration with a tough question: How to meet supply demands for the troops following the closure of the Manas base?

Analysts said Russia wants to get more strategic advantages during its geopolitical interaction with Washington in central Asia through cutting the Manas-Kabul supply route, which is vital to the US-led operation in Afghanistan.

Washington is still trying to persuade the Kyrgyz government to keep the Manas base open for a few months so that the deployment could be implemented. It is seeking a replacement for the base in central Asia.

Reports said the Pentagon had been considering a resumption of military cooperation with Uzbekistan, which also keeps close ties with Moscow, by re-renting the Khanabad Airport to use as its air base.