Russia’s Invasion of Ukraine: Evolving Crises and Economic Power Politics in the Central Asia-South Asia (CASA) Region

Abstract

This introductory chapter sets the stage for the following essays by outlining key themes in this volume and introduces the uncanny parallels between the 1979 former Soviet Union (USSR) invasion of Afghanistan and Russia's 2022 invasion of Ukraine. The chapter argues that the U.S. and the wider international community should identify and apply key lessons learned from four decades of conflict in Afghanistan to ongoing efforts in Ukraine; namely, the need for greater “strategic patience” and “soft power” engagement to sustainably aid Ukraine against Russia, particularly during future post-conflict recovery. Within the context of the Great Power Competition (GPC), these key lessons should also be applied to the pivotal Central Asia-South Asia (CASA) region. Russia’s invasion of Ukraine has weakened an already fragile CASA region, creating a fertile environment for increased influence, coercion, and the leveraging of economic inducements by U.S. rivals, who seek control of this resource-rich region. To counteract the growing power imbalance in CASA and to compete more effectively in the modern GPC, the U.S. should further strengthen existing regional alliances and develop novel “soft power” engagement strategies in CASA to preserve and promote U.S. interests and those of our partners in the region.