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PoliticsKazakhstan

How can Kazakhstan navigate ties with Russia and China?

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Janina Semenova | Emily Sherwin
May 30, 2026

Kazakhstan is a huge country, stuck between two powerful neighbors: Russia and China. Now the Central Asian state is trying to use its geography to its advantage — but it's a balancing act.

Kazakhstan, the world’s largest landlocked country, is navigating a delicate geopolitical balance between Russia and China.

Historically tied to Moscow through the Soviet Union, it still depends on Russia for security and trade routes. At the same time, Beijing is expanding its influence through major infrastructure investments and the Belt and Road Initiative.

As the Ukraine war reshapes regional dynamics, Kazakhstan is pursuing "multivector diplomacy" to avoid overreliance on either power while leveraging its strategic location and vast natural resources.

Janina Semenova German journalist and editor with a special focus on Russia
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