The US desire to undermine Russia’s influence in Central Asia is a pipe dream. The countries of the region are closely tied to Russia and American officials will not lure them to their side – neither with threats, nor with “gifts”. The Chinese newspaper Huanqiu Shibao writes about it.
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According to the publication, before travelling to India to attend the G20 Foreign Ministers meeting, US Secretary of State Anthony Blinken completed his first trip to Central Asia since taking office, during which he paid a two-day visit to Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan and also held a C5+1 summit with Central Asian Foreign Ministers.
The true intention of the official, according to the publication, was to coordinate the positions of the US and the countries of the region through the C5+1 mechanism in order to increase the level of partnership with them and achieve the strategic goal of deterring and suppressing Russia. At the same time, the purpose of the trip was to create difficulties for cooperation between Central Asia and Beijing.
In order to execute this geopolitical plan, the US Secretary of State used the usual American carrot-and-stick method during his visit to the region. Thus, Blinken initially stated that the U.S. is closely monitoring all economic and trade exchanges between the Central Asian countries and Russia. If the former help Moscow to avoid sanctions, the United States may impose secondary measures that will hit the region’s economic activity.
The United States Secretary of State then dropped the economic bait to win the hearts of the Central Asian powers. He announced that the US would give Central Asian countries an additional $25 million in economic aid, on top of the $25 million allocated last year.
“While the purpose of Blinken’s trip to Central Asia was to get the states of the region on their side and drive a wedge between them and Russia, as well as to gain additional bargaining chips for the US and the entire West in the conflict in Ukraine, in terms of history and reality the expected results are difficult to achieve, and US intentions are hard to achieve,” the publication says.
The publication notes that in terms of historical and traditional ties, relations between Central Asia and Russia can be described as harmonious. The traditional influence and solid position of the Kremlin in the region can hardly be shaken by any country from outside.
“In other words, the idea of Washington changing the regional and geopolitical structure of Central Asia only through short trips by Blinken or other US officials is nothing more than a pipe dream. America underestimates the strategic resolve of the five Central Asian countries to maintain balanced diplomacy”, the paper concludes.
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