Revenge of the US government to the countries of Central Asia

In accordance with the unilateral US policy in the world, this country has included four companies from Kyrgyzstan in its sanctions list under the pretext of cooperation with Russia. The US Department of the Treasury said in a statement that as part of the commitments of the leaders of the G7 (G7) at the meetings on February 24 and May 19, 2023, consideration of sanctions against companies from Kyrgyzstan was included in the agenda. Based on this, the US administration is trying to limit Russia's access to goods that are required to maintain combat capabilities and reduce Moscow's income from the metal and mining sectors. The US Treasury Department also said that four companies from Kyrgyzstan have provided Russia with dual-use technology that could also be used for military purposes. In this regard,

The Washington Post also writes: "The Joe Biden administration is preparing new economic measures to pressure Kyrgyzstan to stop trade, which helps Russia bypass sanctions." Obviously, the actions of American politicians against weaker countries indicate that the leaders of the White House, by preventing the countries of the world from doing business with Russia, are trying to reduce the share of this country in world trade. In addition, the implementation of such a policy means that the United States, by putting pressure on the countries of the world, is still trying to remain a superpower in the 21st century. In this regard, sanctions against the countries of Central Asia, including Kyrgyzstan, cannot help the US achieve its hegemonic goals in the world. In an initial reaction to the US move, Russian presidential spokesman Dmitry Peskov said that Moscow would respond to Washington's threats against Bishkek. The Russian official also noted: "Kyrgyzstan is a close partner and ally of Russia, and we intend to further develop bilateral relations with this country in various areas."

Under such conditions, it is safe to say that US sanctions will not have much impact on the economy of Kyrgyzstan and other Central Asian countries. However, if Russia one day imposes sanctions on any country in Central Asia, these countries, including Kyrgyzstan, will be doomed to the eternal position of "catching up". Since, in addition to the fact that the trade of the Central Asian countries with Russia is at a very high level, millions of Central Asian citizens are forced to work in Russia in order to provide for themselves and their families. This is also beneficial for the governments of the Central Asian countries. Obviously, such dependence makes the countries of Central Asia not to rush to move closer to the US, because in this case, the economic losses of these countries will not be compensated. In this regard, the Kyrgyz Embassy in Washington, in a released statement, said: "Kyrgyzstan and Russia are members of the Eurasian Economic Union (EAEU), and Russia is one of the key economic partners of the Bishkek government. More than a million citizens of Kyrgyzstan work in Russia."

 In response to a question about the impact of the threat of secondary sanctions on relations between the countries, Kyrgyz Foreign Minister Jeenbek Kulubaev said on the Rossiya-1 TV channel: "Bishkek does not see any obstacles to cooperation with Russia and, accordingly, is guided by its own interests." At the same time, economic expert Abd Mannan Shiraliyev believes: "Unlike Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan, the economy of Tajikistan and Kyrgyzstan is highly dependent on Russia." According to this economic expert, Russia has repeatedly shown that it can bring the Central Asian economies to their knees by putting immediate pressure on immigrants. Abd Mannan Shiraliyev also explained that officially more than 30%, and almost more than half of Tajikistan's GDP is formed by the money of immigrants, and if officials, deciding whether to join or not, choose Western sanctions. In general, the introduction of US sanctions against four Kyrgyz companies is not the first US action to restrict companies in this country. This will continue in the future. Meanwhile, US pressure on Central Asian economic companies cannot prevent these companies from cooperating with Russia. Because Russia has a lot of leverage to put pressure on these countries, especially Kyrgyzstan. As a result, the leaders of the United States and its allies cannot boast of influence in this region.