Central Asia

Cohen quoted in the National Interest: U.S. sanctions on Russia should not punish Central Asia

Gadzala Tirziu in The New York Sun on Turkmenistan’s geopolitical significance

On March 18, Scowcroft Center nonresident senior fellow Aleksandra Gadzala Tirziu published a piece in The New York Sun on Turkmenistan’s strategic location at the crossroads of Europe, Asia, and Russia, and the potential role it might play in global energy politics as some nations look to revamp their global gas supplies.

D’Anieri in The Diplomat on how Central Asian states can protect themselves from Russia

By Atlantic Council

Kazakhstan’s crackdown is a frightening formula for authoritarians

By Doug Klain

“Crises like the brutal crackdown in Kazakhstan show that Moscow and Beijing can work under pressure together efficiently and get the outcome they desire. It’s a formula we should expect them to repeat.” Doug Klain More about our expert

Ashford in Inkstick: The “blink-and-you’ll-miss-it” intervention in Kazakhstan

By Atlantic Council

On January 13, Ashford published an opinion piece on the Russian intervention in Kazakhstan. “The blink-and-you-might-miss-it intervention nonetheless provided some important reminders about security in Central Asia. Russia, for example, still has substantive interests and influence across Central Asia. Meanwhile, it appears that China is largely willing to stay hands-off on security matters in the […]

Manning in The Hill: What Kazakhstan says about the autocracy question

By Atlantic Council

On January 13, Robert Manning published his weekly column in The Hill on the events in Kazakhstan and how they demonstrate the inherent weakness in autocracies. Manning made the point that there is widespread discontent among populations ruled by autocrats, but that the challenges facing the US internally undermine protestors in autocracies from turning to […]