Paul Goble
Staunton, Aug. 27 – Moscow officials are relying not only on their own efforts but exploiting those of Belarusian officials to promote Putin’s “Russian world” ideas into Central Asia and other parts of the former Soviet Union, according to Hasanboy Burhanov, leader of the Free Uzbekistan (Erkin O’zbekiston) movement.
While the international community not surprisingly has been focusing on Russian aggression in Ukraine, he says, it has paid little attention to what Moscow itself is doing to spread such ideas throughout the former Soviet space and how it is using Belarus to do that (charter97.org/ru/news/2024/8/22/607785/ reposted at erkinuz.democrat/2024/08/29/ekspansiya-russkogo-mira-v-uzbekistan/).
Overwhelmingly, this Russian effort involved “’soft power’ tactics such as cultural or sporting events and educational cooperation,” Burhanov continues; but “it is particularly important to take note of the military cooperation between Russian and Central Asian officials, something that has significantly intensified in recent years.”
But the Belarusian role here is important because it allows Moscow to advance without Russia being blamed. “Cooperation between the Belarusian and Uzbek security services is developing rapidly,” but it is obvious that what Minsk is doing is happening as the result of “close collaboration with the Russian security services.”
This year, Burhanov says, “several senior Belarusian military officials have visited Uzbekistan, and several high-ranking Uzbek military officials have gone to Belarus, a worrying form of cooperation, especially given the contemptuous attitude Belarusian leaders have shown to those they like the Russians still view as their “younger brothers.”
Even more worrisome, Central Asian leaders who are now focusing on regional cooperation are increasingly calling for Russian to become the second official language across the region, a step that may make cooperation easier but also opens the way to more Russian influence there as well.
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