Publication

The US-Russian relationship throughout Central Asia is one of intense rivalry, albeit with occasional politically opportune collaboration. As the two powers pursue their own political and military objectives, the relationship can often appear contradictory and confused, as co-operation exists simultaneously alongside competition and involves vocal condemnation and criticism. This is particularly true in relation to the enormous levels of opium cultivation in Afghanistan since the 2001 US invasion. For the US and Russia, exploitation of the drugs issue has been an important means of achieving their aims.