Signal Post-Soviet states take visible steps to assert sovereignty from Moscow

Summary

Since Russia's invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, member states of Russia-led regional bodies have increasingly stressed sovereignty in strategic matters as well as voicing views within the existing balance of power. The report says members of the Eurasian Economic Union now calculate their interests not only in economic terms but also by a yardstick of sovereign independence from Russian influence. Armenia's absence from official CSTO meetings is cited as one example in the security field. In Central Asia, projects to prioritize national-language education and to move from a Russian-based script to Persian or Latin alphabets are cited as further examples, including an Uzbek decree to accelerate the switch to Latin letters. The authors treat these as representative policies through which the new Eurasian states seek to strengthen autonomy and sovereignty in both economic and political institutions.