Donald Trump recently held a meeting at the White House with leaders from Central Asia, including the presidents of Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Turkmenistan, and Tajikistan. Uzbekistan’s president referred to Trump as the “president of the world,” saying he alone could stop Russia’s war against Ukraine.
The US and Uzbekistan signed a significant economic agreement: Uzbekistan committed to invest nearly $35 billion over the next three years and $100 billion over ten years into key American sectors, such as critical minerals, aviation, auto parts manufacturing, IT, energy, and more.
Kazakhstan allowed a US company to develop tungsten deposits and agreed to purchase Nvidia AI chips worth $2 billion. Airlines from the region planned to buy up to 37 Boeing planes, with John Deere agricultural equipment also discussed.
Kazakhstan’s president asserted that the US has a full right to be present in Central Asia, signaling the region's drive to diversify partners and reduce reliance on Russia, whose economic dominance is decreasing. Trade volumes with the US have doubled in five years, while Russia and China remain significant players.
The US policy in Central Asia aims to weaken Russia's and China’s influence and strengthen economic cooperation. This may also indirectly affect the situation surrounding Ukraine.
