Russian official: West seeks military infrastructure in Central Asia, citing Afghanistan threat

Western countries are continuing efforts to destabilize the Eurasian region and are seeking to establish military infrastructure in Central Asia under the pretext of countering threats from Afghanistan, a senior Russian security official said.

Alexey Shevtsov, Deputy Secretary of the Russian Security Council, made the remarks during a session titled “CSTO-SCO: Security Space” at the Eastern Economic Forum (EEF).

Shevtsov said worsening economic conditions had not stopped Western countries from pursuing what he described as efforts to destabilize the Eurasian region. He claimed that, following the loss of colonial and neocolonial mechanisms of influence in Africa, Western countries were increasingly seeking access to Eurasia’s resources and logistics routes.

He pointed to conflicts and tensions in Ukraine, the Caucasus, Central Asia, Afghanistan, the Middle East, the Taiwan Strait and other areas as examples of what he described as Western efforts to destabilize the region.

According to Shevtsov, Western countries are also seeking to deploy military infrastructure in Central Asian countries, particularly by citing the threat from Afghanistan.

“Westerners continue to persistently attempt to deploy their military infrastructure in Central Asian countries, particularly under the pretext of countering the threat from Afghanistan,” Shevtsov said, arguing that the threat was being exaggerated for these purposes.

Shevtsov also said NATO countries conducted more than 100 military exercises in 2025, with most taking place on the alliance’s eastern flank. He claimed the exercises focused more on offensive than defensive operations, including breaching defensive positions and capturing territory.

The Russian official also cited the so-called “Trump route” in Armenia as another example of what he described as Western efforts to expand influence in the region. He claimed the project would be economically ineffective even under favorable conditions and could allow the United States to establish intelligence and potentially military infrastructure near Iran’s borders.

Shevtsov said the Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO) and the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) should play a central role in strengthening security and stability across Eurasia.

He argued that cooperation between the two organizations could serve as the basis for creating an architecture of “equal and indivisible security” in the region, encompassing both military and economic cooperation.