Envisioning Opportunities for U.S.-Russia Cooperation in and with Central Asia
Central Asia is conventionally seen as a conflicting space for great powers.
It was analyzed through this prism as early as the Russian-British “Great Game” at the end of the nineteenth century. This perception was revived following the collapse of the Soviet Union, which brought the Central Asian republics onto the international scene as newly independent states. The critical lens of analysis continues to be that the region is a place for global and regional powers alike to demonstrate their “muscle.” Yet this perception has to be questioned, for two reasons. First, each global and regional power occupies specific niches on the ground, with the result that direct competition is not so confrontational. Second, Central Asian states, far from being passive actors, are themselves setting the rules of the game in many respects and have succeeded at playing one actor off against another.
Since the U.S. drawdown from Afghanistan in 2014, several commentators have called for a more ambitious and/or realistic U.S. foreign policy toward Central Asia, but they have not addressed the critical issue of how U.S. policy on the region interacts, overlaps, or competes with that of Russia. Yet seen from Central Asia, the United States has never had enough weight in the region to be chosen against Russia.
Read the report : Envisioning Opportunities for U.S.-Russia Cooperation in and with Central Asia
Available in:
Regions and themes
Share
Marlène LARUELLE
Ancienne chercheuse associée, Centre Russie/Eurasie de l'Ifri
Russia/Eurasia Center
Founded in 2005 within Ifri, the Russia/Eurasia Center conducts research and organizes debates on Russia, Eastern Europe, Central Asia, and the South Caucasus. Its goal is to understand and anticipate the evolution of this complex and rapidly changing geographical area in order to enrich public discourse in France and Europe and to assist in strategic, political, and economic decision-making.
The Plight of Russia’s Air Power in the Ukraine War: Drone-Driven Innovations and Transformation of Traditional Air Force
Since the start of the Ukraine War, Russian strategic guidelines on the application of air power—seen as the decisive instrument for achieving success in modern wars—have proven to be outdated, irrelevant and even self-defeating.
China in Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan: From Economic Presence to a New Security Role
Over the past three decades, China’s influence in Central Asia has steadily expanded, but in the last three to five years this process has entered a markedly accelerated phase. Following 2022, Beijing effectively revised both its strategy and its operational approach toward the region.
Between Russia and Europe, between War and Peace: What is at Stake in Armenia’s Upcoming Elections?
Armenia’s June 7, 2026, parliamentary election is shaping up less as a routine vote than as a referendum on Nikol Pashinyan’s post-2020 course, which includes peace with neighbors, reduced dependence on Russia, and a more explicit European orientation. The ruling Civil Contract party is still the frontrunner, but its position is fragile, as the campaign is being fought in a highly polarized environment shaped by the trauma of defeat in the war against Azerbaijan, the displacement of Karabakh Armenians, and the massive election interference from Russia.
Russia, the Palestinians and Gaza: Adjustments after October 7th
The Soviet Union (USSR), and subsequently the Russian Federation as its internationally recognized legal successor, has consistently sought to play a visible role in efforts to resolve the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.