Region
Central Asia
The Kazakhstanis Picking Sides in Putin’s War in Ukraine
By Dan Storyev and Nazeer Baturin
While Kazakhstan's government is balancing, these Kazakhstanis have already picked a side in Putin's war on Ukraine.
China Affirms Ex-Soviet Nations’ Sovereignty After Uproar
By Associated Press
The Chinese ambassador to France suggested in an interview that the states of the former Soviet Union were not recognized as sovereign. Beijing walked the comments back.
The Samarkand Meeting: A Half-baked Regional Approach to Afghanistan’s Endless Woes
By Shanthie Mariet D’Souza
Legitimizing the Taliban’s rule is not the solution to Afghanistan’s current and future problems.
Karim Massimov, Former Kazakh Intelligence Chief, Sentenced to 18 Years on Treason, Coup Charges
By Catherine Putz
Massimov’s supporters say the case against him was politically motivated, an incident of clear scapegoating.
The Strategic Logic of Russia’s Embrace of the Taliban
By Sophia Nina Burna-Asefi
The Afghanistan issue gives Moscow another reason to remain closely engaged in the security affairs of Central Asia.
What Afghanistan’s Qosh Tepa Canal Means for Central Asia
By Seamus Duffy
The Qosh Tepa canal issue essentially forces the Central Asian nations in the Amu Darya basin to make tradeoffs between regional instability and internal instability.
How Farid Tuhbatullin Tells Turkmenistan’s Story
By Catherine Putz
An interview with the Turkmen Initiative for Human Rights’ Farid Tuhbatullin, who works to draw attention to the troubles in his homeland.
Turbulence in the Taiwan Strait: The New Normal
By Ankit Panda and Catherine Putz
Another high-level U.S.-Taiwan meeting causes turbulence in the Taiwan Strait.
New Ukraine Sanctions Target Business Interests of Russian-Uzbek Billionaire Usmanov
By Catherine Putz
Usmanov was personally sanctioned shortly after the invasion of Ukraine began in February 2022, but new sanctions target his “wide network of businesses.”
Russia Still Pursuing Regional Air Defense System With Kyrgyzstan
By Catherine Putz
Russia's efforts to establish "regional air defense systems" within the existing CIS joint air defense system are not new.
Uzbek Militants Escape Detention in Indonesia; 2 Dead
By Niniek Karmini
The three men were among four Uzbek nationals detained by Densus 88 on March 24, following a tip from Uzbekistan's state security service.
Laid-off Oil Workers Detained After Overnight Protest in Astana
By Catherine Putz
The group’s detention sparked a growing crowd in Zhanaozen and highlighted, once again, the precarity faced by the country’s workers.