19.06.2023 - With the war in Ukraine, the Central Asian region returned to the international spotlight for the first time since the withdrawal from Afghanistan. On the one hand, with regard to the circumvention of sanctions against the Russian Federation via the Central Asian states, but especially for the European Union also as an opportunity to diversify its sources for energy imports.
In this episode of 15 Degrees East, four of our students give an insight into the geopolitical situation of Central Asia, which is sometimes referred to as a new Great Game in reference to the history of the region. They shed light on the three major players Russia, China and Western states, their influence and motives in economic as well as security policy terms. They also give a brief outlook on how the five Central Asian states (Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Uzbekistan, Turkmenistan and Tajikistan) can assert themselves in this political situation and how the situation could develop further.