Trump to Host Central Asia Leaders as Resources Race Heats Up

President Donald Trump will host a summit with five central Asian countries as the US steps up competition for influence in the vast energy- and mineral-rich region where China and Russia have long held sway.

Trump is meeting with representatives of Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan and Turkmenistan in an event intended to mark the 10th anniversary of the so-called C5+1 format, according to the White House. The event, which will be held on Thursday, according to Kazakhstan, will be the first time a US president hosted a summit of the grouping at the White House, though President Joe Biden held a similar gathering in New York in 2023.