Our Planet Climate and Geopolitics
Russia’s fraying ties with former Soviet nations may not just be a product of western imagination.
A leaked government report, obtained by the FT and delivered last April at a strategy session led by the Russian prime minister, says Central Asian countries are capitalising on Moscow’s “vulnerability”, looking to “integrate without Russia” and rethinking “our collective history”.
That is, the region desperately wants to avoid the weight of western sanctions. One country outside Central Asia that doesn’t get a mention but is worth keeping an eye on is Azerbaijan.
A gateway to the west for the region, Azerbaijan is currently locked in an unusually tense standoff with Russia over Moscow’s alleged downing of a passenger jet in December.
Last week a news agency tied to the Azerbaijani government reported that Baku was preparing to appeal to an “international court” if Russia didn’t take responsibility for the crash.
