Since its inception, Vladimir Putin’s regime has fought to block US penetration into what Russia views as its “backyard” in Central Asia, seeking to bind the region firmly to Russian hegemony.

Now, following a deft diplomatic and economic maneuver by the Trump administration—first involving Armenia and Azerbaijan at Russia’s expense—the US is securing another major achievement across the broader region.

Washington is clearly focused on Central Asia’s vast natural wealth. Kazakhstan holds the world’s largest uranium reserves; Uzbekistan has massive gold and uranium resources; Turkmenistan boasts significant gas reserves; and Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan sit atop potential deposits of rare earth minerals—an area of particular interest to President Trump.