Central Asia and the Arctic: Russia’s Global REM-Project

The B5+1 forum format grew out of the C5+1 forum, which was founded in 2015 to advance US political interests in the areas of economy, energy, and security. Today, more than 10 years after the emergence of the «parent» political organisation, the B5+1 format is seen by its participants not just as another international forum, but as a new economic space.

The absence of Russian and Chinese representation at the Bishkek forum strongly suggests that this emerging economic framework is strategically designed not «for,» but against these two countries.

One of the most ardent proponents of cooperation with the USA is the President of Kazakhstan, K.-J. Tokayev. His vivid metaphors regarding D. Trump as a «great leader sent from above» at the C5+1 summit last November, as well as his memorable speech at the recently convened «Peace Council» about establishing the Trump Prize «in recognition of his outstanding peacemaking efforts and achievements,» reveal the general mood of the leaders of all former Soviet Central Asian republics: having sensed the genuine interest of the American president in gaining control over critical metal resources worldwide, they are striving not to fall behind in attracting Western investment to their own countries.

However, the star-spangled chest of investments has so far been opened for few outside the US-centric West. On the contrary, the Trump administration has imposed import tariffs on half the world, not forgetting the Central Asian five. On February 24, 2026, following a US Supreme Court ruling on the invalidity of previous duties, Trump introduced new «global» restrictions of 10%, including for his partners in Central Asia, with the prospect of increasing them to 15%. Turn it any way you like, these countries will first have to pay the USA billions of dollars for the opportunity to supply their products, and only then might they receive investments to develop their deposits.

However, notable exceptions in the new duties were energy resources, agricultural products, and medicines. Moreover, in February 2026, the USA signed a separate agreement with Uzbekistan on critical minerals, which implies the creation of a joint investment holding company for the extraction and processing of lithium, uranium, copper, tungsten, and gold. True, prior to this, the President of Uzbekistan promised to invest $35 billion in the USA over three years, and over 10 years, more than $100 billion overall. Of course, the American investments in Uzbekistan’s mining industry will pay off handsomely, and control over the country’s resources will remain with the USA for a long time.

One of the targets for American investors could be Kazakhstan’s Ulba Metallurgical Plant—one of the world’s largest suppliers of beryllium, uranium, niobium, and tantalum, possessing full-cycle technologies. Representatives from Boeing and Lockheed Martin came to Bishkek, who would benefit from securing direct, long-term, and low-cost contracts for the supply of these strategic metals. Also in the USA’s focus are two promising Kazakhstani tungsten deposits, which are of interest to the American company Cove Kaz Capital.

It is important to keep in mind that in such deals, Trump does not always seek to acquire finished Rare and Rare Earth Elements (REMs); often his task is to «stake a claim» on promising deposits to prevent other countries, primarily Russia and China, from accessing them. And if Central Asia previously sent its concentrates for further processing to China and Russia, it will now have to redirect their supplies towards the USA. Incidentally, logistics routes, including the extension of the South Caucasus logistics route named after Trump (TRIPP) to Central Asia, were also discussed at the Bishkek forum.

Thus, the B5+1 forum is primarily another international alliance under the auspices of the USA to counter China and Russia in the supply of critical metals: just in the last year, D. Trump announced the creation of the Critical Minerals Initiative, the Pax Silica international project for the development of artificial intelligence, and a large-scale ministerial-level meeting on critical minerals.

In this sense, the US interest, for example, in acquiring Greenland is based not so much on the extraction and processing of the island’s REMs, but on undivided control of the western sector of the Arctic with all its mineral resources and strategic capabilities.

Russia needs to respond to the actions of our geopolitical adversaries both in Central Asia and in the Arctic with the same integrated approach, implementing its own global project, including in the field of REMs. After all, we have lived alongside our southern neighbors for hundreds of years; there is a history of financing the development of their promising deposits and building cutting-edge metallurgical plants from scratch. And in the Arctic, we have the most promising REM deposits in the world.