U.S. Engages Central Asia in Strategic Minerals Talks at White House

U.S. President Donald Trump is set to host Central Asian leaders at the White House, aiming to strengthen U.S. influence in a region dominated by Russia and China. The meeting will focus on securing critical minerals and energy supplies, as well as establishing strategic trade routes.

In a bid to reposition itself in the Central Asian landscape, the United States is hosting leaders from five Central Asian nations at the White House this Thursday. President Donald Trump is spearheading this initiative in hopes of advancing America's influence in a region long overseen by Russia and increasingly engaged by China.

As the competition intensifies over Central Asia's plentiful mineral resources, Western countries are keen on diversifying their supply chains, moving away from reliance on Moscow and Beijing. The talks, part of the C5+1 platform initiated in 2015, aim to foster partnerships that secure critical materials and formulate overland trade routes designed to bypass geopolitical adversaries.

Gracelin Baskaran of the Center for Strategic and International Studies emphasizes the importance of commercial agreements alongside state-level engagements. With the Central Asian states being rich in minerals crucial for transitioning to green energy, the U.S. remains determined to decrease its dependency on Chinese-controlled supply chains, especially concerning uranium — an essential component for U.S. nuclear power production.

(With inputs from agencies.)