While the whole world copes with the crisis caused by the novel coronavirus pandemic responsible for COVID-19, Moscow has been attempting to take advantage of the situation. Under the pretext of helping them tackle a “common misfortune,” the Kremlin hopes, at a minimum, to pressure...
Reclusive Turkmenistan may be about to become a big problem , warn us . Five major concerns are : 1 ) its explosive demographic growth which is placing huge burdens on the economy with massive young unemployment - a major consequence of decades of extremist violence ; 2 ) it 's suffering from falling natural gas prices , its most important export ; 3 ) a major escalation of Islamist radicalism recently ; 4 ) a serious security threat from the south which its neighbours are unable to withstand ; and 5 ) its non - aligned status means it can not count on Russia or allies for help to defend it . There are ways Turkmenistan could become Central Asia 's " Kuwait " , especially under Islamist insurgency .