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Kazakhstan’s Finance Ministry recently posted a list of organizations and individuals in the country who receive foreign funding. Critics point to similar moves by Russia a decade ago that led to the enactment of "foreign agent" laws that allowed the Kremlin to close down many civil society groups, rights organizations, and independent media. What’s behind the Kazakh authorities' decision to publish the list? Joining host Bruce Pannier to discuss are guests Mihra Rittmann, senior Central Asia researcher for Human Rights Watch; Ivar Dale, senior policy adviser at the Norwegian Helsinki Committee; and Yevgeny Zhovtis, veteran rights activist and director of the Kazakhstan International Bureau for Human Rights and Rule of Law. Both Zhovtis' and Dale's organizations are included on Kazakhstan’s list.

Bethany Allen-Ebrahimian discusses her new book on the Talking China In Eurasia podcast and explains how China is leveraging its economy for geopolitical gain and what it means for the world.

Christopher Miller, Ukraine correspondent for the Financial Times and author of The War Came To Us: Life And Death In Ukraine, speaks to RFE/RL about his book, his experiences covering the country and the war, and where things stand after President Volodymyr Zelenskiy's visit to the United States.

On September 19, U.S. President Joe Biden met with the five Central Asian leaders on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly in New York -- a first for the six countries. For over 20 years after the September 11, 2001, terrorist attacks on the United States, U.S.-Central Asian ties focused heavily on security cooperation. Security was still part of the discussion at the summit, but other issues received equal, if not more attention. What is the state of U.S.-Central Asian relations now? Joining host Bruce Pannier to look at what the summit tells us about U.S.-Central Asian ties are guests Laura Kennedy, former U.S. ambassador to Turkmenistan, Eileen Malloy, former U.S. ambassador to Kyrgyzstan, and William Courtney, former U.S. ambassador to Kazakhstan.

As Ukraine's counteroffensive against the Russian invasion continues, President Volodymyr Zelenskiy heads to the United States for the UN General Assembly and a potentially crucial visit to Washington. Olga Oliker, program director for Europe and Central Asia at the Crisis Group, joins host Steve Gutterman to discuss the big week.

The presidents of Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, and Uzbekistan met in Dushanbe on September 14-15 at a time of great uncertainty in Central Asia. The ripple effects from Russia’s full-scale war on Ukraine are changing the geopolitical landscape in Central Asia, even as climate change has already started affecting the physical landscape of the region as well. Joining host Bruce Pannier to look at the Central Asian leaders’ discussions in Dushanbe are Edward Lemon, professor at the Bush School in Washington, D.C. and president of the Oxus Society, and Temur Umarov, a fellow at the Carnegie Russia-Eurasia Center in Berlin.

RFE/RL’s Andrei Soshnikov joins host Reid Standish to explain their recent investigation based on leaked documents from closed-door meetings between Chinese and Russian officials where they trade tactics and expertise to censor the Internet and monitor dissent.

Since late October 2022, when more than two dozen opposition politicians, activists, and journalists were detained, the Kyrgyz government has been going after perceived opponents and critics. Investigative journalist Bolot Temirov was deported in November; the government blocked RFE/RL’s Kyrgyz Service websites and froze its bank account from late October 2022 until July this year; and the campaign continues. Between August 28 and September 7, Kyrgyz authorities moved to shut down an independent media outlet, detained a leading opposition member of parliament, and prepared to strip the Constitutional Court of its powers over a previous ruling that supported women’s rights. Joining host Bruce Pannier to discuss these recent moves by the Kyrgyz government to tighten its grip over the country are Erica Marat, an associate professor at the National Defense University in Washington, D.C.; and Syinat Sultanalieva, Central Asia researcher for Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan at Human Rights Watch.

We’re returning with a new season on September 13, and we’re relaunching with a brand-new format. I’ll be joined by leading experts and RFE/RL journalists to explain hidden trends and unpack investigations that get to the heart of how China is reshaping things from Eastern Europe to Central Asia -- and why it matters. Be sure to subscribe on Spotify, Apple, Google, or wherever else you like to listen, so you don’t miss an episode.

Turkmenistan has added another dubious distinction to its reputation: methane gas super-emitter. Satellite images have shown massive methane gas emissions for the last two years. Turkmen authorities have hinted they are taking measures, but there doesn't seem to be any improvement. How is the situation affecting the health of the Turkmen people? Joining host Bruce Pannier are Kate Watters, co-founder and executive director at Crude Accountability, an organization working to protect the environmental and human rights of people in oil- and gas-producing countries such as Turkmenistan; and Aynabat Yaylymova, founder and executive director of the Progres Foundation, which has been working to improve public health literacy in Turkmenistan over the last 12 years.

Four days after a fiery plane crash, Russian investigators said they have confirmed the death of Yevgeny Prigozhin, the Wagner mercenary boss who led a brief but shocking mutiny in June. Nigel Gould-Davies, senior fellow for Russia and Eurasia at the International Institute for Strategic Studies, joins Steve Gutterman to take a look at the potential consequences for Russia, the war in Ukraine, and Belarus.

Kazakh officials are moving forward with plans to build the country’s first nuclear power plant, although unsurprisingly, there is public opposition. On August 29, 1949, the Soviet Union exploded its first atomic bomb over an area in northeastern Kazakhstan. Over the next 40 years, there were 455 more tests in the same area and the effects of the radiation continue to cause suffering today. Joining host Bruce Pannier to talk about Kazakhstan’s nuclear legacy is Togzhan Kassenova, author of the widely acclaimed book Atomic Steppe: How Kazakhstan Gave Up the Bomb.

Kyrgyzstan’s relations with Russia have been on a rollercoaster since the Kremlin launched its full-scale war on Ukraine in February 2022. At first, Kyrgyzstan seemed to support the Russian invasion but backtracked when it became apparent the war would go on for months or years. Signs still pointed to Kyrgyzstan siding with Russia until recently, when Russian officials started to publicly criticize Kyrgyzstan’s move to make Kyrgyz the language of state business and its decision to charge two Kyrgyz citizens for joining the fight in Ukraine as members of Russian mercenary forces. What is the state of Kyrgyz-Russian ties 18 months into Russia’s war in Ukraine? Joining host Bruce Pannier to discuss this are guests: Bakyt Beshimov, a former member of the Kyrgyz parliament and currently a Global Studies and International Relations lecturer and professor at Northeastern University; Emil Joroev, PhD, a Bishkek-based independent political observer; and Medet Tiulegenov, Senior Research Fellow at the American University of Central Asia in Bishkek.

Analyst and author Mark Galeotti joins RFE/RL to discuss Moscow's war on Ukraine, its reverberations in Russia, and how it's related to the invasion of Georgia in 2008. Also on the agenda: the continuing aftermath of the Wagner mutiny.

Central Asian governments have become adept at transnational repression. Based on warrants from the Tajik government, Germany, Poland, and Belarus have this year extradited Tajik nationals to Tajikistan where they faced serious, and some say politically motivated charges. In Turkey, the situation for migrant laborers from Turkmenistan has become more complicated since the Turkmen government started paying closer attention to their activities. Joining host Bruce Pannier to shed more light on this issue are Leila Nazgul Seitbek, a lawyer living in exile in Europe and the chairwoman of the NGO Freedom For Eurasia; and Steve Swerdlow, a rights lawyer and associate professor at the University of Southern California.

President Vladimir Putin's most prominent foe, the imprisoned opposition leader Aleksei Navalny, has been convicted of extremism and sentenced to 19 years in the harshest kind of penitentiary Russia has. Jan Matti Dollbaum -- co-author of the book Navalny: Putin's Nemesis, Russia's Future? -- joins host Steve Gutterman to talk about what the verdict means for Navalny and for Russia.

As the five Central Asian states prepare to mark their 32nd anniversary of independence, the region's future is far from clear. Governments promise reform but are changing legislation to benefit those in power, while the space for alternative views seems to be shrinking. What defines the Central Asian countries today, and where are they headed next? Joining host Bruce Pannier to explore these questions are guests Assel Tutumlu, originally from Kazakhstan but currently a lecturer at the Department of International Relations and Political Science at the Near East University in Nicosia, Cyprus; Luca Anceschi, professor of Central Asian studies at Glasgow University and author of several books on Central Asia; and Alexander Cooley, Claire Tow professor of political science and vice provost at Barnard College, former director of Columbia University’s Harriman Institute, and also an accomplished author on Central Asia.

Resource scarcity has severely disrupted daily life across Central Asia this summer. Electricity failures have compelled Kyrgyzstan to declare a three-year energy emergency, starting on August 1. Additionally, much of the region is grappling with water shortages, which scientists say is the latest sign that Central Asia will be one of the regions hardest hit by climate change. Joining host Bruce Pannier to discuss the water and power situation in Central Asia this summer are guests Nurzat Abdyrasulova, president and CEO of Bishkek-based strategic advisory firm Unison Group; Alisher Sidikov, the director of RFE/RL’s Uzbek Service, known locally as Ozodlik; and Farruh Yusupov, the director of RFE/RL’s Turkmen service, known locally as Azatlyk.

After scuttling the agreement that allowed for the safe shipment of Ukrainian grain across the Black Sea and out to the world, Russia has attacked export facilities on the Black Sea and the Danube in Ukraine. Why did Moscow withdraw from the grain deal, and what's next? Alissa de Carbonnel of the Crisis Group joins Steve Gutterman to discuss.

The presidents of the five Central Asian countries just traveled to Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, to participate in the first-ever Gulf Cooperation Council-Central Asia summit. Ties between the two regions have been growing since Russia launched its full-scale war on Ukraine. What is changing in Central Asian-Arab relations and what lies ahead for cooperation between these regions? To explore these questions, host Bruce Pannier is joined by two experts: Aijan Sharshenova, research fellow at the Bishkek-based think tank Crossroads Central Asia; and Theodore Karasik, fellow on Russian and Middle Eastern affairs at the Washington, D.C.,-based Jamestown Foundation.