Our book (with Bradley Jardine), Backlash, is now available in the United States. It examines China's rising role in Central Asia, how this has generated local backlash and how China is responding. Use discount ADISTA5 for 30% off! global.oup.com/academic/pro...

Our new book is on sale now! DM me for a discount code www.hurstpublishers.com/book/backlash/

The Times They Are A-Changin Central Asia's tallest Lenin statue taken down www.bbc.com/news/article...

Trump partially restricts entry for Turkmen citizens due to high overstay rates.

Turkmen travels. May 2024.

My latest with Ruslan Norov on how Tajikistan shapes China's security assistance for China Local/Global @carnegieendowment.org carnegieendowment.org/posts/2025/0...

A thread on Trump’s latest unlawful executive order dismantling the U.S. Agency for Global Media (which oversees Voice of America and RFERL) and the Wilson Center, where I was a fellow across two programs for four years. 🧵 (Gift link 🎁) www.nytimes.com/2025/03/15/u...

I was a fellow at the Wilson Center for over five years. They were partially responsible for bringing me to DC. It is a uniquely non-partisan space for research, networking and policy engagement. I hope it can find a way to survive.

The Act of Congress establishing the Wilson Center doesn’t have a provision saying the president can abolish it by EO: www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/...

In Central Asia, as governments have cracked down on media freedoms, RFERL has been at the forefront of independent reporting on the region. In my forthcoming book Backlash, we draw on 92 RFE reports. The book benefited massively from their critical work.

Parliamentary elections are being held in Tajikistan – without opposition, OSCE observers and independent media rus.ozodi.org/a/v-tadzhiki...

Bradley Jardine and I submitted the revised manuscript to the publisher today. Backlash will be out in July. You can pre-order here:https://www.hurstpublishers.com/book/backlash/

Tajikistan remains the most remittance dependent country in the world. Kyrgyzstan’s dependency has gradually lessened, but still high

Apt to be reading this on the same day that John Wood arrived at Lake Zorkul, claiming it to be the source of the Amu Darya (Oxus) in 1838

Reviewer 2 for Backlash came back today with a constructive and positive review. The perfect birthday present! Pre-order it here! www.hurstpublishers.com/book/backlash/

It was a great discussion!

Whether this person ends up being linked to the attack or not, this will likely fuel more xenophobia in Russia

@Jardine_bradley and I have a chapter in this new volume on BRI: "Securing the Belt and Road and Establishing Hierarchy in Central Asia." It's an important volume. Check it out: global.oup.com/academic/pro...

See you on Monday...

The changes, however, do not significantly improve the situation for the accused. In this week’s Threat Monitor, I’ll detail the latest developments and the wider context of the investigation.

🚨 Crocus City Hall attack: Charges amended 🚨 Four suspects in one of Russia’s largest terrorist attacks in recent years — the March 2024 bombing of Moscow’s Crocus City Hall — now face charges of assisting terrorism, rather than direct participation. #Russia #Terrorism

A “working group” dispatched by China’s embassy in Dushanbe has arrived at the area of the attack to “express sympathy to the injured and coordinate the handling of subsequent matters”, the ministry added. asiaplustj.info/en/news/taji...

Tomorrow is the 1,000th day of war in Ukraine, if you only count from 24 February 2022. Its more than a decade long if you count from February 2014. Its consequences will take generations to overcome.

The incident, which occurred in the southeastern Shamsiddin Shohin district, bordering Afghanistan, has not yet been officially addressed by the Tajik authorities. www.google.com/amp/s/www.rf...

Dear #CentralAsia crowd. Here is a first "starter pack". Please reach out if you want me to add you ! go.bsky.app/LXZM1qx

Missing Tashkent's beauty and food. Hopefully returning in the coming months!

Coming in 2025! www.hurstpublishers.com/book/backlash/

It was a pleasure to join Temur Umarov and Bruce Pannier to talk regionalism in Central Asia after last week's leaders summit. And they met again just days later yesterday in New York. www.rferl.org/a/majlis-pod...