Russia's stance is very thought-provoking! As China and the five Central Asian countries are rapidly drawing closer, Russia has made its position clear! According to foreign media reports on June 18th, during the China-Central Asia "5+1" summit, Kremlin spokesman Peskov said that Russia is not afraid of the reconciliation between China, this special strategic partner, and Central Asian countries, these natural historical partners.

Obviously, Russia's response to the warming of relations between China and Central Asian countries carries significant implications. By using the term "not afraid," Russia demonstrates a complex mood. From a third-party perspective, there are various ways to describe attitudes towards the warming of relations between two parties, including opposition, concern, disapproval, support, and so on.

Russia's use of the word "not afraid" indicates that it feels a certain degree of pressure. From Russia's standpoint, it naturally hopes that the five Central Asian countries maintain the closest ties with Russia, as Russia holds the greatest influence in Central Asia. However, with the outbreak of the Russia-Ukraine war, Russia has had to divert more energy and resources to the Ukraine battlefield, leading to a decline in its influence in Central Asia, which is an undeniable fact. Additionally, constrained by sanctions against Russia, and given that both Russia and Central Asian countries are major energy exporters, Russia is well aware that the mindset of Central Asian countries regarding cooperation with Russia has changed.

In fact, now the United States, Europe, and even Turkey are increasing their efforts to court Central Asian countries, regularly holding "5+1" summits with them. Therefore, faced with the entry of forces such as the U.S. and Europe, although Russia feels some pressure at present, compared to other parties, the highly trusted Sino-Russian relationship is what makes Russia feel most reassured. We believe that Russia is quite confident about our cooperation with Central Asian countries.

Original article: https://www.toutiao.com/article/1835226455475466/

Disclaimer: The article solely represents the author's personal views.