Russia Is Losing Its Grip on Central Asia

Russia’s top diplomat has expressed grudging acceptance of expanding US involvement in improving Central Asia’s trade infrastructure. But, curiously, he sidestepped commenting on China’s growing economic influence in the region. Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov, during a question-and-answer session with students at Moscow’s MGIMO University in early September, noted that “a growing number of extra-regional actors,” including the United States, has taken an interest in fostering trade via the so-called Middle Corridor,…