The National Interest: Bureaucratic divisions in the US hinder strategic coherence on the Caspian region and the South Caucasus issues
Today, China is reaching out through Central Asia and across the Caspian to influence Europe. Russia is relying on its treaty allies, Kazakhstan and Kyrgyzstan, to bypass sanctions. A weakened Iran is striving to maintain political and economic relations in the region, as well as collaborating with Moscow to frustrate development among the littoral states of the Caspian Sea, The National Interest writes.
Yet, U.S. policymaking remains fragmented. Bureaucratic divisions between the State Department, the Pentagon, and the National Security Council hinder strategic coherence.
“The South Caucasus is a case in point. Armenia’s stated desire to distance itself from its security partner, Russia, and its economic partner, Tehran, remains under-explored. Yerevan, disappointed that Russia failed to come to its aid in its recent war with Azerbaijan, has seen the limits of its security relationship with Moscow. The government and people of Armenia seek greater integration with the European Union—something Moscow has demonstrated that it will resist,” the website writes.
As noted, in Georgia, Vladimir Putin is attempting through state capture and election manipulation what he seeks to accomplish in Ukraine through military force: cementing Russian control and thwarting European aspirations. Azerbaijan, the region’s strategic lynchpin and a Shia-majority ally of Israel plays a crucial role in reducing Europe’s dependence on Russian energy.
On the eastern side of the Caspian, the former Soviet republics of Central Asia remain an afterthought, overshadowed by U.S. priorities in India and persistent crises in Pakistan and Afghanistan. As a result, American engagement with the Caspian region lacks the clarity, consistency, and senior-level attention that its strategic significance demands. Too often, U.S. engagement with the region is inconsistent and contradictory. Meanwhile, Russia, China, and Iran exploit their geographic advantages to strengthen regional ties.
