Medical, educational, and military help wasn’t enough to get Kyrgyzstan to renew the 22-year treaty with the United States. Now, it seems like they are sending out a new message according to political analyst Alisher Khamidov: “We arewith Russia.”
It helps that Russia is playing the role of “good guy” after they wrote off over $500,000,000 in debt and renewed their lease of military bases through 2032. The resources are minimal, but the strategic location makes it a crucial centralized spot with access to Europe, Asia, and the Middle East. Recently, the country joined the Russian-led Eurasian Economic Union.
The situation would appear to be beyond repair despite calls from the citizens to shift back towards favoring the United States for their assistance in medical research and supplies. In a world where might seems to be right, the Kyrgyzstan government seems to favor the power of Russia over the assistance of the United States.
BBC reports: