Central Asia

Daily Memo: Production Cuts

Geopolitical Futures - October 5, 2022

Hostile acts of oil. At a meeting today, OPEC+ announced dramatic cuts in oil production. At as much as 2 million barrels per day, the cuts are the largest since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic. The decision will likely push oil prices up. The Biden administration has already described it as a potentially “hostile […]

Daily Memo: Ukraine’s Navy to Receive New Flagship

Geopolitical Futures - October 3, 2022

New ship. Ukraine’s navy launched the Ada-class anti-submarine corvette in Istanbul on Sunday. It’s the first of two Turkish-made corvettes under a deal signed...

Not Even the Ukraine War Changes the Central Asian Equation

Ekaterina Zolotova - October 3, 2022

Russia may be losing its grip on Central Asia. Though the countries of the region are generally thought of as strategic Russian partners –...

Daily Memo: Putin Announces Annexation

Geopolitical Futures - September 30, 2022

Putin's announcement. Following so-called referendums held earlier this week in Donetsk, Luhansk, Kherson and Zaporizhzhia, Russian President Vladimir Putin announced the formal annexation of...

Daily Memo: Scholz in the Middle East, Australia’s Naval Plans

Geopolitical Futures - September 26, 2022

Scholz in the Middle East. German Chancellor Olaf Scholz concluded a two-day visit to the Persian Gulf by signing a series of energy deals....

Daily Memo: Voting Begins in Russian-Occupied Areas of Ukraine

Geopolitical Futures - September 23, 2022

Heading to the polls. Moscow on Friday launched "referendums" in Russian-occupied regions of Ukraine on whether these areas should become part of Russia. Voting...

Daily Memo: Washington Makes Headway in Central Asia

Geopolitical Futures - September 20, 2022

The U.S. in Central Asia. The United States is in talks with the governments of Uzbekistan and Tajikistan to allow both countries to keep...

Daily Memo: Tajik-Kyrgyz Clashes, Update on Armenia and Azerbaijan

Geopolitical Futures - September 16, 2022

Fighting in Central Asia. Border clashes erupted again between Tajikistan and Kyrgyzstan on Friday, two days after fighting was reported along their shared border....

Daily Memo: SCO Leaders’ Summit in Uzbekistan, Russian-Chinese Drills in the Pacific

Geopolitical Futures - September 15, 2022

Leaders gather. The heads of state of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization are converging in Samarkand, Uzbekistan, for a two-day summit. The group will discuss...

Daily Memo: Putin and Scholz Discuss Ukraine, Gas

Geopolitical Futures - September 14, 2022

Difficult discussions. German Chancellor Olaf Scholz urged Russian President Vladimir Putin to withdraw all Russian forces from Ukrainian territory and seek a diplomatic solution...

Daily Memo: Ukraine’s Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Plant Shuts Down

Geopolitical Futures - September 12, 2022

Shutting down. Ukraine’s Energoatom, which operates the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant, said the last working reactor at the facility was shut down and disconnected...