Director of the Center for the Study of the Middle East and Central Asia Semyon Bagdasarov commented in a conversation with the Vzglyad newspaper on the plans of US President-elect Joseph Biden to appoint former intelligence officer Andrea Kendall-Taylor, specializing in Russian and Central Asia at the White House National Security Council (SNB), on US threats.
Baghdasarov believes that this appointment is a signal that the United States intends to strike at Russia’s positions in Central Asia and the South Caucasus. The main blow will fall on Kyrgyzstan, since there is drug trafficking, and there is also a threat of the spread of radical Islamism.
Bagdasarov also believes that Tajikistan is a threat, especially if Russia will reduce the admission of migrants from this country. “If the Russian Federation continues to expel migrants from this country, then at one point, due to the socio-economic crisis in Tajikistan, riots may break out with all the ensuing consequences,” Bagdasarov said.
In addition, the United States intends to weaken China’s position by using mechanisms to resolve the Uyghur issue. In particular, in the Xinjian Uygur Autonomous Region, there are radical pro-Turkish groups that have already taken part in the conflict in Syria on the side of Ankara. China is more interested in stability in this region than anyone else. The political scientist advised Moscow not to get involved in what is happening in Central Asia “in front of the daddy into hell”, but first to define its interests.