The economic, security, and infrastructure support framework between the United States and five Central Asian nations (Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, and Uzbekistan) has come to be known as the “C5+1.” Established in 2015 during a Foreign Ministers’ meeting in Samarkand, Uzbekistan, this framework laid the groundwork for these five nations to be increasingly recognized as a region of significant geopolitical value. The United States has stepped up its diplomatic and economic engagement in a region long viewed as Russia’s historical sphere of influence and a key hub for China’s Belt and Road Initiative. The clearest manifestation of this engagement is the “C5+1” partnership; in recent years—particularly following the Russia-Ukraine conflict—meetings and negotiations within this group have elevated to high-level summits, undergoing a strategic expansion.
Several key interests underlie the US drive to provide economic support and establish long-term partnerships with Central Asian nations. First, Washington aims to maintain a geopolitical balance in the region by diluting the exclusive dominance of Russia and China. Second, a primary short-term goal for the US is to tighten oversight and close channels that allow Russia to bypass Western economic sanctions via Central Asian transit routes. Furthermore, the vast reserves of uranium and critical rare earth elements in these countries—vital for modern high-tech industries and nuclear energy—motivate Western nations to secure new supply chains independent of Russia and China. Finally, the US is actively advancing a strategy to reduce the region’s reliance on Russia by supporting the development of the “Trans-Caspian Transport Corridor,” which bypasses Russian territory to reach Europe through Central Asia.
However, Russia observes this heightened US activity with extreme sensitivity and suspicion. Moscow perceives the “C5+1” partnership as a form of covert geopolitical aggression—an attempt by Western nations to establish influence in its “backyard” and surround or isolate Russia. The Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs and top leadership have consistently exerted pressure on their Central Asian allies, warning that joining Western sanctions or being misled by Western promises would ultimately harm their own economies. Moscow also does not hesitate to leverage its logistical advantages, such as the fact that the vast majority of Kazakhstan’s oil exports transit through Russian territory, as economic leverage when necessary. Simultaneously, Russia employs tactics to keep the “Stan” nations within its orbit by strengthening regional structures under its leadership, including the Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO) and the Eurasian Economic Union (EAEU).
Amid this clash of great power interests, Central Asian nations—particularly key regional players such as Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan—are endeavoring to pursue highly flexible and pragmatic foreign policies. While they are reluctant to strain relations with their traditional partner, Russia, they are equally unwilling to forgo the investment, modern technology, and new economic opportunities offered by the United States and the West. Consequently, within the framework of their “multi-vector foreign policy,” they are moving forward with a sophisticated strategy: skillfully balancing the interests of Russia, China, and the US, while utilizing great-power competition as a tool to bolster their national development and sovereignty.
