Central Asia is rapidly moving from Moscow’s exclusive orbit to the global stage, with its five leaders now set to meet US President Donald Trump for a summit on November 6.
This Washington meeting, confirmed by Kazakhstan and Kyrgyzstan, is the culmination of a year that has seen the C5 also meet with leaders from China, the EU, and Russia.
The war in Ukraine has been the primary catalyst, weakening Russia’s grip and emboldening the C5 to forge a more independent, multi-vector foreign policy.
Global powers are now in a “scramble” to build influence in the resource-rich region.
The US is aiming to secure its own interests, focusing on the region’s vast mineral wealth and its potential to become a key logistics corridor, offering an alternative to Chinese and Russian dominance.