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Sanctions worries: EU sharply increased pressure on Central Asian countries for ties with Russia
The Europeans are trying to limit Russia in all possible directions. Recently, Brussels has noticeably increased pressure on the countries of Central Asia (CA), demanding to reduce trade with the Russian Federation, Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Mikhail Galuzin told Izvestia. Moscow has been recording an increase in contacts between European officials and the leadership of Central Asian states and businesses since mid-2025. In the 19th package, the EU has already imposed sanctions against banks and companies in Tajikistan, Kyrgyzstan and Kazakhstan, intending to adopt similar ones in the 20th. At the same time, the Russian Federation has something to respond to, and first of all, economically. How Russia and Europe compete for influence in the post—Soviet republics is described in the Izvestia article.
EU puts pressure on Central Asian countries
The European Union has taken a course to strengthen its influence in the countries of Central Asia (CA) after the start of its European officials have repeatedly visited Russian neighbors, urging them to comply with the sanctions imposed on Russia. However, since mid-2025, the EU has moved from words to concrete harsh actions, increasing pressure on companies and enterprises in Central Asian countries, Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Mikhail Galuzin told Izvestia.
Since the middle of last year, diplomats have noted the intensification of contacts between EU emissaries and the leadership and business circles of the Central Asian states with the explicit aim of preventing the development of absolutely legitimate ties between these countries and Russia, including in the field of trade and economics.
— Outright interference in internal affairs, political pressure, manipulation of the interests of others, and blackmail are being used. Any assistance to Central Asian countries through the Common Economic Space is subject to anti—Russian demands," the deputy minister said.
The EU is trying to influence the Central Asian countries in several ways. Firstly, they are regularly visited by the EU Special Representative for sanctions, David O'Sullivan. He paid his last such visit to Kyrgyzstan on February 26.
Publicly, the European official stressed that Brussels is not asking Bishkek to join the sanctions, but at the same time does not want the country's authorities to allow "unscrupulous entities" to use its territory to circumvent restrictions imposed against the Russian Federation. Therefore, the main purpose of O'Sullivan's visits to Central Asian countries is to find companies that can sell sanctioned goods to Russia and convince them to stop trading.
Over the past six months, the EU has moved towards tougher and more practical persuasion measures. In the 19th package of sanctions, which the European Union adopted last fall, restrictions were imposed against a number of CIS banks. The blacklist includes BelVEB Bank, Belgazprombank, Alfa-Bank, Sberbank and VTB Bank branches in Belarus and Kazakhstan, Kyrgyz Tolubai and Eurasian Savings Bank, Tajik Dushanbe City Bank, Spitamen and Commerzbank. All European companies have been banned from any transactions with these financial institutions, which, according to the West, help the Russian Federation circumvent restrictions.
The topic of Western sanctions is regularly raised by Russia in its dialogue with Central Asian countries, says Mikhail Galuzin.
— We agree on the illegitimacy and inadmissibility of such restrictions in international relations. It is no secret that in its desire to "inflict a strategic defeat on Russia," the West is increasing comprehensive pressure on our consistent ally and strategic partner, Kyrgyzstan," he said.
The diplomat recalled that in September 2025, the President of the republic Sadyr Japarov condemned the sanctions policy of Western countries from the UN rostrum, accusing them of hypocrisy and double standards. Russia fully shares the position of its ally, Galuzin stressed.
In the future, the European Union does not seem to be going to stop. Reuters reported that in the 20th package of sanctions, the EU may for the first time impose restrictions on ports of third countries for operations with Russian oil. We are talking about the ports of Kulevi in Georgia and Karimun in Indonesia. Restrictions may also apply to two Kyrgyz banks, Keremet and Capital Bank of Central Asia, as well as to credit institutions in Tajikistan.
Direct sanctions policy has become the main mechanism of pressure on Central Asia for the EU, says Daria Saprynskaya, a researcher at the Laboratory of Modern Central Asia and the Caucasus Studies at the Institute of Oriental Studies of the Russian Academy of Sciences. Moreover, due to the threat of secondary sanctions, the countries of the region were forced to abandon the service of Russian bank cards.
By the end of 2025, most banks in Armenia, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan and Kazakhstan have stopped accepting Russian Mir cards. Finally, the sanctions have led to the curtailment of the activities of some Russian companies in a number of countries, Liya Farrakhova, an expert at the Axon information and consulting center, told Izvestia. For example, back in 2022, Sberbank was forced to sell its subsidiary in Kazakhstan. Nevertheless, today such restrictions do not lead to catastrophic losses, the expert notes.
How the Russian Federation cooperates with Central Asian countries
Despite the policy of pressure, Western states also use "soft power" in relations with Russia's southern neighbors. In their attempts to influence the countries of Central Asia, the EU, the United States, and the United Kingdom are limited by their own aspirations to develop ties with this region, Liya Farrakhova believes.
The 5+1 dialogue platform format, which unites the United States or the EU with five Central Asian states (Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, and Uzbekistan), became extremely "popular" after the start of its work. The parties are looking for and finding common ground.
— Perhaps the most important of them today is raw materials from Central Asia, primarily rare earth elements (REE). In the West, they openly declare their interest in critically important resources in this region. The implementation of projects in this area will not only strengthen the positions of major players in the countries under consideration, but also reduce China's influence on the REE," says Liya Farrakhova.
Western countries are also trying to limit Russia's influence in logistics. As an alternative to the Northern Corridor, the Trans-Caspian International Transport Route (TMTM) is actively advancing, connecting China and Europe, bypassing the Russian Federation. There are prospects for some Central Asian countries: for Kazakhstan, with its access to the Caspian Sea, first of all, Kyrgyzstan and Uzbekistan hope to integrate into the TMTM with the help of the China–Kyrgyzstan–Uzbekistan railway under construction, the expert says.
Despite the fact that competition for the region is intensifying, Russia still has its own arguments with which it can maintain and maintain its position, Konstantin Zatulin, first deputy chairman of the State Duma Committee on CIS Affairs, Eurasian Integration and Relations with Compatriots, told Izvestia.
— Firstly, geographical proximity from all sides. Secondly, the communications that go through Russia, despite all the projects of the Western corridors, which have not yet been fully developed bypassing the Russian Federation. Thirdly, there are military-political areas of cooperation," says the parliamentarian.
He added that Moscow also needs to maintain its presence at strategically important Central Asian facilities. For example, you cannot leave the Baikonur cosmodrome in Kazakhstan, which the Russian Federation leases until 2050. Finally, it can improve economic formats of interaction with Central Asian countries.
Moscow is actively investing in joint projects with the region. According to data for 2024, about 24 thousand companies with Russian capital operate in Central Asia, and the volume of accumulated investments has exceeded $38 billion. The trade turnover of the Russian Federation with the regional "five" exceeded $45 billion. The parties are also switching to convenient settlements in national currencies, which offset any outside interference from the EU or the United States. In the case of Kyrgyzstan, their share is already 97%, with Uzbekistan — more than 60%, and with Kazakhstan — 95%. Among the member countries of the Eurasian Economic Union (EAEU), the share of national currencies in transactions has already reached 93%.
Finally, Russia is also developing its transport corridors in the region, which is much more logical due to its geographical location. Among them is the promising MTK North—South. Work is also underway on the Kyrgyzstan–Uzbekistan–Turkmenistan–Russia corridor project, which will ensure the delivery of goods to the ports of Astrakhan and Makhachkala.
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