Skip to main content
The Interpreter

Interpreter - Menu Links

  • Articles
  • Debates
  • Contributors
  • About

Published daily by the Lowy Institute

  • 3 Feb 2023
    • Central Asia
    • Caucasus
    • Russia
    • Ukraine

    Russia, Ukraine and the wars of the Soviet succession

    Ian Hill
    Putin’s war is part of the untidy and slow-motion disintegration of the Soviet Union.
  • 27 Jan 2023
    • Central Asia
    • Caucasus
    • Russia
    • Türkiye

    How Russia loses allies amid the war in Ukraine

    Nikola Mikovic
    Setbacks in the Kremlin’s campaign are causing regional supporters to think twice about the Eurasian military alliance.
  • 20 Sep 2022
    • Central Asia
    • China
    • Russia
    • Ukraine

    The war in Ukraine is pushing Central Asia away from Russia

    Bermet Talant
    Russia’s loss has been China’s gain.
  • 9 Sep 2022
    • Central Asia
    • China
    • India
    • Russia

    The SCO: an illiberal club of growing global significance

    Nick Bisley
    A likely face-to-face meeting between Putin, Xi and Modi will be an uncomfortable sight for Quad partners.
  • 27 Jun 2022
    • Central Asia
    • Australia
    • Caucasus

    Full throttle: Australia’s advantages alongside Azerbaijan

    Nina Markovic Khaze
    Geopolitical change opens the chance to capitalise on goodwill for a potentially valuable partnership.
  • 30 Mar 2022
    • Afghanistan
    • Central Asia
    • Russia

    Russia’s effort to escape diplomatic isolation

    Ed Wyatt
    Moscow may turn to the Collective Security Treaty Organisation in Central Asia to prove its regional standing is intact.
  • 14 Feb 2022
    • Central Asia

    Kazakhstan’s longtime “leader” is out, but the regime he built remains

    Bermet Talant
    President Toqayev has promised a “New Kazakhstan”, but democracy isn’t on the table.
  • 19 Jan 2022
    • Central Asia
    • China

    Mongolia suffers under China’s zero Covid policy

    Antonio Graceffo
    Small and landlocked, the Central Asian nation struggles to balance its economy with essential public health measures.
  • 11 Jan 2022
    • Central Asia
    • Russia

    Fear, loathing and infighting in Kazakhstan

    Mateo Szlapek-Sewillo
    Media blackouts and influence from the Kremlin are stifling anti-government protests in the Central Asian republic.
  • 28 Oct 2021
    • Central Asia
    • China
    • Russia

    China’s education diplomacy in Central Asia

    Jon Yuan Jiang
    Where Russian universities once schooled the elite, students are increasingly changing preference.
  • 15 Oct 2020
    • Central Asia
    • China
    • Russia

    Kyrgyzstan’s turmoil and the competition for Central Asia

    Nikola Mikovic
    Post-election upheaval has drawn new attention to internal power struggles and the region’s geostrategic importance.
  • 7 Jul 2020
    • Australia
    • Central Asia
    • China
    • Russia

    Yes, to balance China, let’s bring Russia in from the cold

    Matthew Dal Santo
    The West’s isolation of Russia has helped Moscow acquiesce in an expanded Chinese presence it would once have resented.
  • 5 Jun 2020
    • Central Asia
    • China
    • Coronavirus

    Central Asian nations want to kick-start the BRI – and China is happy

    Raffaello Pantucci
    Covid-19 has spurred rumours and local tensions, but economic fortunes of the region are increasingly bound to Beijing.
  • 7 May 2020
    • United States
    • Afghanistan War
    • Terrorism
    • Afghanistan
    • Central Asia
    • Russia

    With US Afghan exit, Russia eyes Central Asian security

    Azima Akhmatova
    An unstable Afghanistan threatens all kinds of trouble for its neighbours. For Russia, it may be a golden opportunity.
  • 14 Nov 2019
    • Central Asia
    • China
    • India
    • Pakistan
    • Russia

    SCO-style economic cooperation: Treading slowly

    Olesya Dovgalyuk
    The Shanghai Cooperation Organisation efforts to rebrand itself as an economic forum deserve a second look.
  • 17 Aug 2018
    • Central Asia

    Two cheers for the new Caspian convention

    Stephen Blank
    A new deal helps Russia and Iran decide whether the Caspian is legally a lake or a sea.
  • 27 Jul 2018
    • Central Asia

    Kazakhstan steps into the sun

    Stephen Blank
    Kazakhstan is forging a leading role in Central Asia, with Moscow slow to recognise the country is eluding its grasp.
  • 6 Apr 2018
    • Asia
    • Central Asia

    Tajikistan and Uzbekistan: a welcome but fragile thaw

    Luke Dawes
    The signs of warming relations between Uzbekistan and Tajikistan are built on the friendship between two authoritarian rulers.
  • 11 Jan 2017
    • Central Asia

    Central Asian connectivity: Going beyond China

    Raffaello Pantucci
    Talk of Silk Roads continue to dominate regional conversations, but diversification will be essential to realise the visions that are being advanced.

Stay informed with the latest commentary and analysis on international events from experts at the Lowy Institute and around the world.

Register

The Interpreter features in-depth analysis & expert commentary on the latest international events, published daily by the Lowy Institute

© Copyright 2023 Lowy Institute

  • Debates
  • Contributors
  • Articles
  • About
  • Comments Policy
  • My Bookmarks
  • Terms of Use
  • Site map
  • My Admin
  • Log In