Eurasian Economic Union

Uzbekistan emerging from isolation

Russia & Central Asia

The rise of President Shavkat Mirziyoyev to power in Uzbekistan has brought with it economic reform and billions of dollars in new investment. The country desperately needs foreign partners, both to diversify its economy and strengthen its military. China and Russia, respectively, have stepped in to play these roles. At the same time, the U.S. is withdrawing from the region. As the influence of Beijing and Moscow grows, President Mirziyoyev’s options will shrink.

China’s threat to Russia’s Far East: Real or perceived?

Russia & Central Asia

The vulnerability of Russia’s Far Eastern and Siberian regions to Chinese expansion has become a truism. Yet most Russians seem to favor closer ties with China, and bilateral relations may be at their best in history, without a trace of military or political tension. There are also few signs of Chinese economic penetration, at least on a level that exceeds Japan’s or South Korea’s. Migration pressure from China into the underpopulated Russian north may be the hollowest of these popular myths.

Greater Eurasia – a Kremlin pipe dream

Russia & Central Asia

The Kremlin’s vision for a “Greater Eurasia” partnership with China is often held up as Russia’s most important geostrategic priority. According to this concept, the two countries would control a powerful bloc of non-Western states to challenge American hegemony. However, the two have vastly different goals, and it is becoming clearer that China would become the dominant member of the initiative.

Mongolia’s role in security on the Korean Peninsula

Mongolia

Mongolia might be one of the only countries with which North Korea could have a normal conversation: the countries have historically had friendly ties. And Mongolia has hosted negotiations between North Korea and Japan, for example, before. However, a wide gap remains between Pyongyang’s goals and the West’s. Until the sides come to the negotiating table, Mongolia will play its own role: showcasing an example of a country in Northeast Asia with communist roots that achieved security without pursuing nuclear weapons.

Russia losing the new Great Game

China & Northeast Asia

Chinese leader Xi Jinping's visit to Moscow last month brought a raft of investment deals, suggesting that Russian President Vladimir Putin is successfully executing his version of a pivot toward Asia. But appearances deceive. The Sino-Russian "strategic partnership" is not an agreement between equals, and Russia has lost the upper hand in Central Asia.

Global trends: Ukraine fatigue may force bargain with Russia

Europe

Since Ukraine gained independence in 1991, its relations with Russia have never been normal. Major crises are always liable to break out. The present one has lasted for almost two years and is entering a new phase that can make or break Ukraine. <i>This report is part of GIS’s “Global Trends” series, which aims to f...

Iran’s growing influence in the South Caucasus adds to already complex tensions

Russia & Central Asia

The South Caucasus, consisting of Armenia, Georgia, and Azerbaijan, sits at a crucial geographical and cultural crossroads. The area has proven to be strategically important, both militarily and economically, for centuries, and Iran’s return to the world stage after decades of isolation looks set to put the region back on the front pages. ...

China is winning the new Great Game in Central Asia

Russia & Central Asia

Massive Chinese investment is flowing into Moscow’s strategic backyard. The Russian Empire, and then the Soviet Union, ruled over the various ethnic groups of Central Asia for centuries. Now Beijing is making a concerted effort to solidify economic, transport, and political links with the volatile and resource-rich region, writes GIS guest expert Brendan O’Reilly. ...

VIDEO: Why China and Russia downplay their rivalry over Central Asia

China & Northeast Asia