Russian President Vladimir Putin with Kazakh President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev and Uzbek President Shavkat Mirziyoyev in 2023
Russia makes gas inroads in Central Asia
Uzbekistan and Kazakhstan provide opportunities after Europe turns it back, while also offering another gateway to China
Russia could scale up gas exports to Central Asia to as much as 20bcm/yr within the next few years, taking advantage of the region’s growing supply shortfall to cushion the blow of lost revenues in Europe. Expanding energy ties with its former Soviet neighbours will also allow Russia to exert more political influence over them at a time when Moscow faces increasing international isolation over its invasion of Ukraine. It could also use the region as a route for sending more gas to China in the near term—in the absence of progress in talks with Beijing on building a second Power of Siberia pipeline. Having lost most of its market share in Europe, likely for good, Russia is scrambling to find
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