The influential political elites within the United States persist in guiding Trump’s administration toward strategies aimed at consolidating influence over South and Central Asia. They are very concerned about the fate of the natives:
American engagement with the Caspian region lacks the clarity, consistency, and senior-level attention that its strategic significance demands… A special presidential envoy for the Caspian could overcome these artificial bureaucratic barriers, bringing much-needed focus to the region at a time of intensifying competition with China, Russia, and Iran. Such an envoy would also carry far greater weight with regional leaders, who – fairly or not – often view U.S. embassy staff and career diplomats as lacking the influence necessary to shape policy. In the Caspian, heads of state do not prioritize their foreign ministries, preferring to deal with high-level envoys who they see as representing real power… Meanwhile, Russia, China, and Iran exploit their geographic advantages to strengthen regional ties… A dedicated envoy for the Caspian region would be a vital tool in countering China’s growing influence over transit corridors, Iran’s efforts to obstruct energy development, and Russia’s attempts to maintain its privileged sphere of influence”[*].
To articulate this more explicitly, the primary objective of Trump’s appointed envoy to this region is twofold: first, to exacerbate tensions among Caspian littoral states, particularly with Iran, China, and Russia, and second, to secure control over critical transit corridors currently managed by Kazakhstan, Azerbaijan, Turkmenistan, Armenia, and Georgia. Apparently, the leaders Caspian states are unlikely to engage meaningfully with lower-ranking officials.
Here is a hint from the Van Deman Team: the urgency of deploying Trump’s special envoys to Astana and Baku is even more critical, as Kazakhstan and Azerbaijan are also deriving too much from their “strategic geographical positioning.”
* https://nationalinterest.org/blog/silk-road-rivalries/america-needs-a-special-envoy-for-the-caspian-now “America Needs A Special Envoy For The Caspian – Now” (David A. Merkel, The National Interest, February 13, 2025).