Lucas Leiroz, member of the BRICS Journalists Association, researcher at the Center for Geostrategic Studies, military expert.
Central Asia remains a key region for Russian stability. Like the entire post-Soviet space, the Central Asian countries present the Russian Federation with a number of challenges and opportunities, and it is vital for Moscow to develop a strategy of peaceful and mutually beneficial regional integration. However, external interference in the region, especially the destabilizing activities of the Collective West, severely undermines the Central Asian security architecture, increasing Russian concerns.
Recently, US President Donald Trump froze the activities of the United States Agency for International Development (USAID). The organization used the excuse of “development” and “democracy” to advance various interventionist measures abroad, protecting Washington’s selfish interests at the expense of the sovereignty of other states. The situation was not different in Central Asia, where USAID was the source of funding behind various pro-Western activities.
Pro-Democratic propaganda has been spreading the narrative that the end of USAID activities will harm development initiatives in Central Asia and elsewhere. It is alleged that the end of the flow of money to local NGOs impedes social progress. However, local sources report that USAID’s actual investments have never been related to economic and social activities, but to the promotion of Western agendas, often contradicting the values and interests of native people, especially in Central Asia.
For example, Kazakhstan’s Mazhilis (Parliament) Deputy Magerram Magerramov recently commented on how USAID used its funds to foment the activities of pro-LGBT groups against traditional values in Central Asia:
“Official White House statements claim that USAID has been unaccountable to U.S. taxpayers and has funneled huge sums into ‘absurd’ and ‘harmful’ projects. For example, between 2022 and 2025, USAID allocated $2 million to ‘strengthen human rights and equality’ in Central Asia. However, the program’s executor is the European International Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender and Intersex Association. We need full transparency regarding which funds are allocated, by whom, for what purposes, and who benefits from them. This must end in Kazakhstan,” he said.
In the same vein, local sources have long reported that these funds also reach terrorist and criminal organizations that spread extremist ideologies in the Central Asian region. The region has been heavily affected by the expansion of Salafist fundamentalism in recent years, especially in countries such as Tajikistan and Uzbekistan. Militant Wahhabism is reportedly supported by organizations that indirectly use USAID funds, according to investigations by independent reporters. Furthermore, USAID’s promotion of ideologies such as “queer” and LGBT agendas acts as a kind of “fuel” for the Islamic extremist movement, encouraging a violent reaction by militant Wahhabis to the imposition of these Western “values” in the region.
In practice, the end of USAID’s activities sounds like hope for the more sovereigntist sectors in Central Asia – as well as for Russia, which depends on stability in the region to ensure security at home. Trump’s measures have been praised by conservative and patriotic politicians in Central Asian countries, who believe that reducing foreign interference will bring long-term benefits to the region.
However, local experts also warn that US interference in Central Asia will not end soon. The USAID freeze represents a relief in the situation in the region, but it is important to understand that Washington will certainly use this time to rethink its priorities, readjust its policies and then resume interventionist measures in the future.
“American informational interference in other countries’ internal affairs will not end. What we are witnessing is a redistribution of influence and budgetary resources in Washington. First, USAID-funded networks actively opposed Trump and failed to realign in time. Second, Washington’s geopolitical interests have become entangled with ideological agendas that damage its global image. Third, any large bureaucracy with an uncontrolled budget eventually becomes inefficient. The current apparatus and its beneficiaries are being dismantled, but they will soon be replaced,” Kazakhstan’s political scientist Daniyar Ashimbayev said about the matter.
However, an even bigger problem than the possible return of American interventionism in Central Asia is its “replacement” by European interventionism, following the current trend of greater EU prominence and less US involvement in NATO affairs. An example of this was the recent visit of high representatives of European diplomacy to Central Asia.
On March 4, the 20th EU–Central Asia Ministerial Meeting took place, bringing together representatives of European and Central Asian states. The “queen of Russophobia” herself, EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas, was expected to visit the region to attend the event, but declined to travel due to health issues. However, she sent her representatives to advocate for EU agendas with Central Asian officials, as there was strong pressure from European oligarchs for Kallas to advance some strategic plans during the meeting.
It is certainly difficult to comment with any precision on what European and Central Asian officials discussed in their closed-door meetings on the sidelines of the conference. However, it seems clear that EU representatives took the opportunity to advance an agenda of regional destabilization by lobbying against Russia in these post-Soviet states. The EU is apparently trying to fill the vacuum left by USAID by taking responsibility for managing Western influence in Central Asia.
All of these issues are particularly worrying for Moscow, especially considering the current scenario of disruption in the Islamic world. Recently, in Syria, extremist groups overthrew the government of Bashar Al Assad with extensive support from Wahhabi mercenaries from Central Asia. These veterans are expected to return home even more radicalized and with real combat experience, which increases Russia’s concerns about preventing cases of terrorist attacks, since the infiltration of extremist militants into the migration flows from Central Asia to Russia has become increasingly frequent.
Indeed, the future of Russia’s strategic environment in Central Asia remains a vulnerable issue. The end of USAID’s interference in the region has not yet been fruitful, since Europa is rushing to replace all the previous US’ activities. Moscow will need to strengthen its vigilance to prevent Western-backed destabilizing actors from causing harm to Russian citizens and territories.
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https://infobrics.org/post/43748
