Former US Ambassador Discusses Russian Disinformation in Kazakhstan

Former US Ambassador to Kazakhstan Daniel Rosenblum delivered a lecture to Yale University students, declaring that America has lost the information war over Central Asian countries to Russia and China, Orda.kz reports.

According to the university’s media outlet, the Yale Daily News, Rosenblum’s lecture was titled “Battling the Firehose of Falsehood: Confronting Russian Disinformation in Central Asia.”

Speaking to several dozen humanities students, the former ambassador acknowledged that the US had “surrendered” the information war, leaving the battlefield to competitors from Beijing and Moscow. He also cited specific examples from his six years of experience working in Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan.

Rosenblum described a relentless Russian disinformation campaign that portrayed U.S. diplomats as destabilizers. He recalled a 2023 incident in which Russian media claimed he had opened a NATO base in Kazakhstan. In reality, he had cut the ribbon on a U.S.-funded conference center for a Kazakh peacekeeping institute. the Yale Daily News

Rosenblum said the American embassy tried to respond to information attacks with “success stories” — for example, by highlighting programs for farmer exchanges or educational partnerships.

But after 2023, most of this work was curtailed. He cited the US government’s refusal to fund projects by USAID, Voice of America, and Radio Liberty as examples.

Eight months into the second Trump administration, it seems clear that the information war is over in Central Asia — not because the Russians won. We have simply surrendered. A disparaged and a discredited America will be a weak America. Rosenblum stated.

The former diplomat noted that China, on the contrary, is gaining increasing influence in Central Asia through the Belt and Road Initiative. He argued that Beijing is better at winning friends and influencing people than Washington.

Nobody is coming home in body bags in this war. But there are real casualties — namely, our country’s reputation, the effectiveness of our diplomatic representatives, and our ability to persuade other nations to work with us in pursuit of critical national interests. Rosenblum said.

Daniel Rosenblum served as the US Ambassador to Uzbekistan from 2019 to 2022 and as Ambassador to Kazakhstan from 2022 to 2025. During his tenure in Kazakhstan, he actively developed ties between the two countries in trade, investment, and security.

He also learned to cook traditional Kazakh dishes. Shortly after Donald Trump returned to the White House, Rosenblum resigned.

There is still no new US ambassador to Kazakhstan. Most likely, Julie Stufft, whom we covered in detail in this article, will soon take over the position.

Original Author: Nikita Drobny