The mood among Central Asian countries regarding Moscow's actions in Ukraine has changed since Russia's 2014 annexation of Crimea, which some countries in the region de facto recognized.
Kazakhstan is again looking to the potential of a Trans-Caspian pipeline, but do plans to diversify oil export routes just hitch the Kazakh economy further to a doomed fossil fuel industry?
Beijing and Ankara have expanded their engagement in Central Asia in recent months as the region's governments look for new partners to boost their economies and balance against a more assertive Kremlin.
On February 4, the Beijing Winter Olympic Games opened in the Chinese capital. While much of the West engaged in a “diplomatic boycott” or cited the ongoing pandemic for the absence of their top leaders, all five Central Asian presidents were in