Russia's invasion of Ukraine has quickly transformed the West's relationship with Russia. It's forged Russia's closer alignment with China. It seems that 2022 is becoming the year when everyone is rethinking the circles of power, especially in Eurasia. Moscow's estrangement from the West is not mirrored in Central Asia's former USSR's republics. One key republic on which many are now focused is Turkmenistan, in large part because this country possesses vast natural gas reserves. Putin's dream has been to bring Turkmenistan more tightly into his own orbit, but that is also China's dream. For this reason, China's leadership is making regular visits to the capital city of Ashgabat, discussing projects that would improve infrastructure, most especially ports and pipelines. Russia is anxious to do the same, but with the current economic crisis, it's burdened with an extremely limited range of motion. Turkmenistan's leadership is also looking at the possibility of joining a trade bloc for the very first time.
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