U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken wrapped up a two-day visit to Central Asia after meeting the leaders of Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan. He also met with his counterparts from the C5+1 group of nations, comprising Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, Turkmenistan, Tajikistan, Kyrgyzstan, and the United States. Blinken’s visit was widely seen as an effort to woo Central…

Kazakhstan has stated that it will not recognize Kremlin-organized referendums in four occupied regions in Ukraine aimed at annexing territory to Russia, despite being a close ally of Russia. Foreign Ministry spokesperson Aibek Smadiyarov said Monday that Kazakhstan’s stance on the referendum is consistent with “the principles of territorial integrity of states, their sovereign equivalence…

Beijing is taking steps to solidify its sphere of influence, including from close ally Russia, with Chinese leader Xi Jinping delivering the strong message during an official visit to Kazakhstan. Xi told officials China was keen to nurture relations with Kazakhstan and opposed any interference in the Central Asian country. “No matter how the international…

Chinese leader Xi Jinping is set to visit Kazakhstan next week for talks with the Kazakh government as China seeks to expand its bilateral cooperation with the country. Kazakhstan’s Foreign Ministry spokesperson, Aibek Smadiyarov, said Monday that Xi will arrive in Kazakhstan on Sept. 14 and meet with Kazakh President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev, Reuters reported. This…

Commentary The U.S. withdrawal from Afghanistan opened the door for increased Chinese pressure on Kazakhstan. Communist China continues to make news in its outreach and attempts to corrupt various countries around the world. The purpose of its Belt and Road Initiative (BRI, also known as “One Belt, One Road”) is to change the dynamics of…

ALMATY—Russian retailers Magnit and Lenta are in talks with their suppliers and other parties about importing goods via Kazakhstan, Russia’s southern neighbor and close partner, a Kazakh official was quoted as saying on Tuesday. Rouble volatility and supply chain disruptions have hit the Russian market since President Vladimir Putin sent troops into Ukraine on Feb….

Oil prices spiked 5 percent Wednesday after disruptions to Kazakh crude exports and growing apprehension regarding European Union sanctions on Russian energy imports as the U.S. president meets with counterparts on the continent amid worsening conflict in Ukraine. Brent has since stabilized after opening Thursday at $117.20 a barrel and trading at $117.58 as of…

ALMATY—The bodies of 225 people killed in recent unrest in Kazakhstan, including 19 members of the security forces, were delivered to morgues throughout the country, the prosecutor general’s office said on Saturday. The figure included civilians and armed “bandits” killed by security forces, Serik Shalabayev, the head of criminal prosecution at the prosecutor’s office, told…

Dr. Andrew Anzur Clement, who is based in Slovenia, writes alternate-history novels set in the hot seat of current Eastern Europe tensions. The unspoken, game-of-chess dynamics of “trip wires” and “spheres of influence”—underlying current Russia–NATO, U.S. relations—are the plot instruments of his books. What could we really expect from NATO and the United States if…

MOSCOW—Russia’s defense ministry says the troops that were deployed to Kazakhstan as violent demonstrations shook the country have returned home. The troops were part of a force sent as peacekeepers by the Collective Treaty Security Organization, a Russia-led military alliance of six former Soviet states. The CSTO approved the force of more than 2,000 on…