A cluster of Eurasian middle powers — Kazakhstan, Azerbaijan, Mongolia, Uzbekistan, Turkey, and Pakistan — now control the vital overland corridors that link Europe to Central Asia and the Middle East. These nations sit atop energy pipelines, critical minerals, and trade routes that increasingly bypass traditional sea lanes. Their sudden elevation is the direct result of the transactional diplomacy that has defined the Trump era, which traded multilateral institutions for bilateral summits and personal deals.

In November 2025, Kazakhstan became the first country to join the Abraham Accords during Trump’s second term. The same month saw the launch of high-level Central Asia summits that yielded new trade pacts and deeper United States access to the Middle Corridor.

Kazakhstan and Azerbaijan together supplied roughly 70 percent of Israel’s crude oil between November 2023 and October 2025, with Azerbaijan alone accounting for 40 percent during the Gaza war and exporting 713 million dollars’ worth of crude petroleum to Israel in 2024. The Jewish State, in turn, provided 69 percent of Azerbaijan’s major weapons imports between 2016 and 2020. These exemplary ties with Azerbaijan and Kazakhstan deliver robust energy security and strong anti-Iran leverage, showcasing the success of pragmatic bilateral partnerships........

© The Times of Israel (Blogs)