Vladimir Putin’s Guide to Alienating Allies
Having tarnished its geopolitical status, economy and military, Moscow has less to offer Central Asia than it once did.
It’s not you, it’s me.
Photographer: Alexander Shcherbak/AFP/Getty ImagesSlumped, underwhelmed and mildly irked, Vladimir Putin listened in silence as Tajikistan’s veteran autocrat Emomali Rahmon seized the opportunity presented by a regional get-together to berate the Russian president, issue rambling counsel and demand “respect.” It was a snapshot of Moscow’s current predicament, eight months into a supposed blitzkrieg in Ukraine — and more telling than either side intended.
Tajikistan is not just any ally. It’s a poor nation of some 10 million that’s home to Moscow’s largest overseas military base. Remittances made up more than a quarter of its GDP even during the pandemic, most of that from migrant workers toiling in Russia. In late June, when Putin needed safe destinations for a post-invasion tour abroad, he started with Rahmon and promptly proclaimed himself on “friendly soil.”