Trump Gathers CIS Leaders In Washington To Reduce Putin's Influence
- 6.11.2025, 20:27
Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan are distancing themselves from the Russian Federation.
US President Donald Trump has invited the leaders of five Central Asian countries - Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan - to the White House. As Reuters reports, Washington is seeking to strengthen its position in a region that has been dominated by Russia for decades and is increasingly cooperating with China. Central Asia, home to some 84 million people, has significant reserves of uranium, copper, gold, rare earth elements and other strategic resources.
The meeting comes amid growing competition for access to these riches. The West is seeking to diversify its supply of critical raw materials by reducing its dependence on Moscow and Beijing. The US, in particular, is seeking new partnerships in the mining and processing of strategic minerals, energy and transportation routes to bypass geopolitical rivals.
The C5+1 format, established in 2015, brings together the US and five Central Asian states to develop cooperation in economics, energy and security. According to Gracelyn Baskaran, director of the Center for Strategic and International Studies, the Trump administration intends to promote not only intergovernmental initiatives, but also commercial projects that will provide the US with access to the region's most important resources. "Washington is looking for leverage points through strategic projects," she said.
Last week, US Deputy Secretary of State Christopher Landau visited the region. He visited Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan, Central Asia's largest economies. In Astana, Landau met with President Kasym-Jomart Tokayev to discuss developing partnerships in energy, critical minerals, transportation and logistics. In Tashkent, he held talks on economic and security issues, the State Department press office said. Kazakhstan remains the world's largest uranium producer, accounting for nearly 40% of global production. Uzbekistan is among the top five leaders in the industry. Together, these countries provide more than half of the global uranium volume - a key resource for the U.S. nuclear power industry. Russia, in turn, supplies about 20% of U.S. uranium imports.
The administration is also involved in negotiations to grant the U.S. company Cove Capital access to one of the world's largest undeveloped tungsten deposits located in Kazakhstan. In addition, the company signed an agreement with the Ministry of Mining Industry of Uzbekistan to conduct geological exploration at promising sites.
In 2025, Uzbekistan Airways signed the largest contract in its history for the purchase of Boeing 787 Dreamliner aircraft worth over $8 billion. Kazakhstan, in turn, signed a $4.2 billion railroad contract with the U.S.-based Wabtec Corporation.
According to Kate Mallinson, a partner at the London-based consulting firm PRISM Strategic Intelligence, U.S. and European capabilities in the region remain limited. While Central Asian states seek to balance China's influence by attracting Western investment, Beijing's increased presence and Moscow's desire to maintain control over its "near abroad" will constrain the expansion of Western influence and access to the region's strategic resources.