Diplomatic and Geopolitical Aspects of US Strategy in Central Asia: The Case of Kazakhstan

The purpose of this paper was to comprehensively examine the diplomatic and geopolitical aspects of US policy towards Kazakhstan in order to identify the key factors determining the effectiveness of US strategy in Central Asia. The results of the study revealed three key phases in US policy towards Kazakhstan: the nuclear disarmament period (1991–2001), the phase of anti-terrorist cooperation (2001–2014), and the current phase of containing the influence of Russia and China (2014–2024). It is found that energy policy remains the most successful area of American strategy in Kazakhstan, while in the sphere of democracy promotion and military-political cooperation, the results are limited. It is revealed that the C5 + 1 format, initiated by the US in 2015, has become a key tool for strengthening American influence in the region, allowing Washington to coordinate its policies with Central Asian countries without the involvement of Russia and China. The study found that the effectiveness of the US strategy varies depending on the specific area: the US has been most successful in the energy sector, with US investment in Kazakhstan’s economy exceeding $65 bn and trade between the countries reaching a record $4.1 bn in 2023. It was found that Kazakhstan’s multi-vector foreign policy, aimed at maintaining a balance between the interests of the United States, Russia and China, creates additional challenges for the implementation of the US strategy, including support for projects to diversify energy export routes as a counterbalance to Russian and Chinese initiatives.