The race for access to Central Asia’s natural resources is intensifying.United States President Donald Trump has set his sights on the C5 nations, comprised of Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, Kyrgyzstan, Turkmenistan and Tajikistan.He hosted a summit with their leaders at the White House, as Washington aims to get access to the mineral-rich region and reduce its reliance on China for imports of critical minerals.But the leaders of the C5 face a delicate balancing act to make deals with the US without annoying Moscow or Beijing.The meeting in Washington came just a month after Russia’s Vladimir Putin attended a summit with the C5.And earlier in the year, the Chinese president also met C5 leaders, hoping to maintain China’s role in the region.So, can Washington succeed in a region long dominated by Russia, and where China is making inroads?Presenter: Nick ClarkGuests:Zhumabek Sarabekov – Acting Director at the Institute of World Economics and Politics in KazakhstanWilliam Courtney – Senior Fellow at the RAND CorporationDakota Irvin – a Senior Analyst at PRISM Strategic IntelligencePublished On 7 Nov 20257 Nov 2025Click here to share on social mediashare2Share
