Donald Trump’s much-publicised dinner diplomacy appeared to misfire as Vladimir Putin hosted Kyrgyz President Sadyr Japarov in St Petersburg, underscoring Moscow’s tightening grip in Central Asia and raising questions over Washington’s waning influence. Putin’s talks with Japarov, framed as a strategic deepening of political and economic ties, were cast as a diplomatic win for the Kremlin even as Trump sought to project statesmanlike clout on the world stage. Trump and Japarov have previously met on the sidelines of high-profile gatherings, where the former US president courted Central Asian leaders with promises of closer security and economic cooperation, but the latest optics from St Petersburg suggest Kyrgyzstan is still leaning firmly toward Moscow’s orbit. Watch for more