In his 2013 novel Translation from the Interlinear, Russian author Yevgeny Chizhov described a fictional Central Asian country sinking into the depths of traditional authoritarianism and completely cut off from the Western world, which, for its part, showed no interest in the distant, forgotten state. Unlike this imagined scenario, what we witnessed last week at the White House seems to be the complete opposite: Instead of detachment and neglect, Central Asia is returning to the forefront of the geopolitical stage.
On November 6, 2025, President Trump hosted the leaders of the five Central Asian states—Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, Turkmenistan, Kyrgyzstan, and Tajikistan—at the White House as part of the framework known as C5+1. This format of meetings at the working level was established during President Obama’s administration in 2015 and was strengthened under President Joe Biden, who personally met with the Central Asian leaders in New York in 2023. Holding the meeting at the White House signals a mutual desire to strengthen cooperation. The conservative agenda of the Trump administration, which focuses primarily on economic issues while neglecting human rights and democracy, aligns well with the political outlook of the region’s leaders. As a result, it presents them with a real opportunity to deepen ties with the United States. It is worth recalling that despite their differences, all Central Asian states share one common aspiration: strengthening their relations with the United States as a counterbalance to their growing dependence on their formidable neighbors, Russia and China.
Relations between the Central Asian states and Russia are marked by mutual dependence and mistrust. This dynamic stems from a post-colonial complex on the one hand and Russia’s persistent refusal to view them as fully independent states on the other. Russia’s military intervention during the attempted coup in Kazakhstan in January 2022, while helping the incumbent president stay in power, only underscored Kazakhstan’s security dependence on Moscow. Tensions between Russia and the Central Asian states increased significantly following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, as Moscow’s own dependence on these countries intensified. In October 2022, Tajikistan’s President Emomali Rahmon publicly criticized President Putin for Russia’s condescending attitude toward the Central Asian nations.
At the same time, over the past decade, China has become the region’s dominant economic player. Through its Belt and Road Initiative, China has financed infrastructure projects, provided massive loans to Central Asian countries, and encouraged their participation in geopolitical frameworks under its leadership. All the regional states except Turkmenistan are members of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization; Uzbekistan and Kazakhstan are candidates for BRICS membership.
The desire of Central Asian states to expand economic cooperation with strategic elements is welcomed by the Trump administration. The joint declaration signed between the United States and these countries following the latest summit reflects the Trump administration’s priorities: developing the field of rare and critical minerals and energy resources, which Central Asia possesses in abundance; connecting the region to Europe through existing and future transportation and energy infrastructure (the Trans-Caspian corridor) and through the “Trump Route for International Peace and Prosperity” (TRIPP) initiative in the Caucasus. During the visit of the five Central Asian presidents to the United States, both Uzbekistan and Kazakhstan signed deals worth tens of billions of dollars with American companies.
Geopolitically, these moves enable the US administration to leverage Russia’s weakness and represent a continuation of the expansion of American influence in the post-Soviet space—first in the Caucasus, through the reconciliation between Armenia and Azerbaijan, and now in Central Asia. These steps are also significant in the broader US competition with China. However, the success of American policy depends on its consistency and determination—two elements that previous administrations lacked in their approach to Central Asia.
These developments also create an opportunity for Israel. Kazakhstan’s inclusion in the Abraham Accords, a country that has maintained diplomatic and economic relations with Israel for three decades, may have raised some eyebrows in Israel. However, it is important to remember that since these countries gained independence in the 1990s, Israel has invested little effort in developing relations with them and remains far from realizing the potential in the region. Hopefully, this renewed American momentum will inspire Israeli decision-makers to pay greater attention and allocate resources to this area, whose strategic importance is only expected to grow in the coming years.
In his 2013 novel Translation from the Interlinear, Russian author Yevgeny Chizhov described a fictional Central Asian country sinking into the depths of traditional authoritarianism and completely cut off from the Western world, which, for its part, showed no interest in the distant, forgotten state. Unlike this imagined scenario, what we witnessed last week at the White House seems to be the complete opposite: Instead of detachment and neglect, Central Asia is returning to the forefront of the geopolitical stage.
On November 6, 2025, President Trump hosted the leaders of the five Central Asian states—Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, Turkmenistan, Kyrgyzstan, and Tajikistan—at the White House as part of the framework known as C5+1. This format of meetings at the working level was established during President Obama’s administration in 2015 and was strengthened under President Joe Biden, who personally met with the Central Asian leaders in New York in 2023. Holding the meeting at the White House signals a mutual desire to strengthen cooperation. The conservative agenda of the Trump administration, which focuses primarily on economic issues while neglecting human rights and democracy, aligns well with the political outlook of the region’s leaders. As a result, it presents them with a real opportunity to deepen ties with the United States. It is worth recalling that despite their differences, all Central Asian states share one common aspiration: strengthening their relations with the United States as a counterbalance to their growing dependence on their formidable neighbors, Russia and China.
Relations between the Central Asian states and Russia are marked by mutual dependence and mistrust. This dynamic stems from a post-colonial complex on the one hand and Russia’s persistent refusal to view them as fully independent states on the other. Russia’s military intervention during the attempted coup in Kazakhstan in January 2022, while helping the incumbent president stay in power, only underscored Kazakhstan’s security dependence on Moscow. Tensions between Russia and the Central Asian states increased significantly following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, as Moscow’s own dependence on these countries intensified. In October 2022, Tajikistan’s President Emomali Rahmon publicly criticized President Putin for Russia’s condescending attitude toward the Central Asian nations.
At the same time, over the past decade, China has become the region’s dominant economic player. Through its Belt and Road Initiative, China has financed infrastructure projects, provided massive loans to Central Asian countries, and encouraged their participation in geopolitical frameworks under its leadership. All the regional states except Turkmenistan are members of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization; Uzbekistan and Kazakhstan are candidates for BRICS membership.
The desire of Central Asian states to expand economic cooperation with strategic elements is welcomed by the Trump administration. The joint declaration signed between the United States and these countries following the latest summit reflects the Trump administration’s priorities: developing the field of rare and critical minerals and energy resources, which Central Asia possesses in abundance; connecting the region to Europe through existing and future transportation and energy infrastructure (the Trans-Caspian corridor) and through the “Trump Route for International Peace and Prosperity” (TRIPP) initiative in the Caucasus. During the visit of the five Central Asian presidents to the United States, both Uzbekistan and Kazakhstan signed deals worth tens of billions of dollars with American companies.
Geopolitically, these moves enable the US administration to leverage Russia’s weakness and represent a continuation of the expansion of American influence in the post-Soviet space—first in the Caucasus, through the reconciliation between Armenia and Azerbaijan, and now in Central Asia. These steps are also significant in the broader US competition with China. However, the success of American policy depends on its consistency and determination—two elements that previous administrations lacked in their approach to Central Asia.
These developments also create an opportunity for Israel. Kazakhstan’s inclusion in the Abraham Accords, a country that has maintained diplomatic and economic relations with Israel for three decades, may have raised some eyebrows in Israel. However, it is important to remember that since these countries gained independence in the 1990s, Israel has invested little effort in developing relations with them and remains far from realizing the potential in the region. Hopefully, this renewed American momentum will inspire Israeli decision-makers to pay greater attention and allocate resources to this area, whose strategic importance is only expected to grow in the coming years.