Blank, Stephen. "Central Asia: An Opportunity for the Trump Administration". Central Asia-Caucasus Analyst, 22 March 2017.

Blank, Stephen. "Central Asia: An Opportunity for the Trump Administration". Central Asia-Caucasus Analyst, 22 March 2017.

• The inauguration of economic and political liberalization under the Mirziyoyev administration in Uzbekistan and the decision of President Nursultan Nazarbayev to increase parliamentary powers at the expense of the executive both create key opportunities for the United States to reassert itself as a major player in Central Asia.
• The Central Asia republics need the United States to act as a counter-weight to the hegemonic influence of Russia and China in Central Asia, mainly through acting as an alternative guarantor of security in Afghanistan and providing economic clout that neither other great power can match.
• The United States can exploit its new position as a major power in Central Asia to encourage the Central Asia republics to adopt key civil liberties and human rights reforms.
• If the USA does not expand its influence in Central Asia, its position in Afghanistan will likely become fragile and open to exploitation by Russia, which is already believed to be covertly supporting the Taliban to divide the Afghan government and leave it open to Russian influence. Without a strong position in Afghanistan, Central Asian states will not be interested in American influence. 
• The USA should demonstrate support for reforms in Uzbekistan and Kazakhstan by providing military supplies and training, and investment in private firms in these countries. This 'carrot' of cooperation and investment should be used to encourage continued political and economic reform.
• American security objectives in Central Asia actually line up well with Uzbekistani and Kazakhstani objectives, namely the eradication of terrorist forces. If the US does not provide this security, than other powers will; especially China, which has been resorting to increasingly draconian measures to prevent its Uyghur population from joining jihadi groups.