As conflict rages in Ukraine between pro-Russian separatists and the embattled Ukrainian army, a resurgent and belligerent Kremlin is casting its eye around the former Soviet Union, eager to shore up influence in its former colonial territories. All eyes are currently on Europe, but – while the battle for the Donbass is grabbing the headlines – the Kremlin is also looking east, towards the five Muslim states of Central Asia, viewed by Moscow as a bulwark between Russia's southern borders and the restive badlands of Afghanistan.
Russia's War Against Ukraine
The National: Why Russia will see off China in Central Asia’s new great game
Russian President Vladimir Putin (L) speaks with China's President Xi Jinping (C) after thier meeting at the Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) summit in Beijing on Nov. 9, 2014.
