Central Asia
15 Articles
With New Transit Routes and Investment, the U.S. Aims to Counter China and Russia in the South Caucasus and Central Asia
How the U.S.-brokered Armenia-Azerbaijan peace deal and the TRIPP trade route are reshaping Eurasia’s economic and security alliances, from the Caspian to Europe and beyond.
Journalists Who Took Risks for US-Funded Broadcasters Threatened Anew by Trump Shutdown
The political and human risks of shutting down Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, Voice of America and their fellow US-funded media outlets.
US-China Standoff on Who Runs the Afghanistan File at UN Signals Greater Tensions Ahead
The U.S. and China dispute who should initiate resolutions on Afghanistan in the United Nations Security Council, signaling broader tensions.
The Spreading Impact of Restrictive ‘Foreign Agent’ Laws and How to Stop Them
Such measures not only gut civil society as incubators of citizen involvement and connection with government, they spill beyond borders.
The Democratic Price of Countering Authoritarianism
The US need to contend with China and Russia may obscure the accumulation of risk from many individual tradeoffs.
The US Can — and Must — Counter Russian Influence Undermining Kyrgyzstan’s Democratic Progress
The latest sign of backsliding is a draft "foreign agents" law modeled after one that gutted civil society in Russia.
Openings for Biden in the Inaugural US-Central Asia Summit at UNGA
Russia and China notwithstanding, serious ties should balance interests in regional cooperation, civil society, and security assistance.
From ‘Island of Democracy’ to ‘Consolidated Authoritarian Regime’: The Need to Reverse Kyrgyzstan’s Slide
Effects of internal corruption and opaque institutions spill beyond borders, even to the war in Ukraine. Cases show the risks and the hope.
Time for the United States to Rethink its Strategy for Afghanistan
The United States must rethink its strategy toward Afghanistan and prevent the Taliban from gaining a stronger foothold.
Terrorism Might Be the Least of Our Problems a Year After America’s Withdrawal from Afghanistan
Beyond counterterrorism, Afghanistan remains a key theater for great power competition and U.S. security interests.
Faltering Investigations into Deaths and Torture in Kazakhstan Leave Accountability in Doubt
A recent visit shows government inaction on justice after violent crackdown on January protests over energy prices.
How the U.S. Can Stop Empowering Eurasia’s Authoritarians
"The United States has a valuable opportunity to help the people of Eurasia emerge from the shadow of the Soviet Union’s legacy. It cannot do that if it shuts its eyes to the…