Svante Cornell joins the Counterbalance hosts to argue that it's in the best interest of everyone for the U.S. to engage with Central Asian countries such as Azerbaijan, Kazahkstan, Uzbekistan, Kyrgyzstan and others. If we care about the interests of Russia & China, we should care about the interests of the countries caught directly in between these two powers. Very few people look at this region as the economic and security asset that it could be, and in light of the war in Ukraine now might be the time to shift our eyes to new partnerships in Central Asia.
About Counterbalance:
Counterbalance is a foreign policy podcast that embodies 91’s tradition of challenging conventional wisdom. The Trump era attacked the elite consensus regarding several key issues, including the rise of China, American policy toward the Middle East, and the compartmentalization of domestic and foreign policy. Many observers in the media and in establishment foreign policy circles are presenting the advent of a Biden presidency as a total repudiation of President Trump’s policies and a return to “normalcy.” But, regardless of how one feels about the Trump era or any of his specific policies, there is no turning back the clock. The elite foreign policy consensus will never be the same. Counterbalance will reckon with what’s next.