Challenges to Russia in Central Asia

Russia seeks to reintegrate Central Asia around its power and authority and to that end deploys all the instruments of power available to it. However, it also faces several challenges in Central Asia. Some of those challenges to its policy stem from the possibility of terrorism or a Taliban victory in Afghanistan. Others come from the prospect of potential domestically generated instability in Central Asia that could be the result of a succession of domestic crises or due to the influence of events like the Arab Spring of 2011. Another set of challenges come from other major actors like China and the United States who have important if not vital interests in Central Asia and who can block Russian ambitions there. At the same time Central Asian states can either resist Russia on their own in some cases or alternatively can form tactical alliances with governments like China or the United States. This essay investigates those challenges to Russia and their implications for Central Asian security.