Russia’s isolation from the West following its invasion of Ukraine has given new impetus to the country’s already close cooperation with the Central Asian countries of Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, and Uzbekistan. Russia is using energy to enhance its influence in Central Asia and achieved notable successes in 2023, including building generating capacities, increasing electricity and hydrocarbon supplies to the region, and developing its transit potential to China. In this Q&A, the author…
