Kyrgyzstan Aims to Join Russia's Customs Union

Kyrgyzstan will formally apply to join the Russia-Belarus-Kazakhstan customs union. While joining the union would come with significant economic drawbacks as well as benefits, it would effectively formalize an alliance with Moscow, the security and political benefits of which Bishkek may believe is worth the economic tradeoffs. For Russia, adding Kyrgyzstan to the union will not only strengthen its position in the Central Asia, but will also give it leverage against the United States.