The Kazakhstan National Defense University welcomed then-Lt. Gen. Michael Garrett, the commander of US Army Central, as its guest speaker Dec. 13, 2016, in the capital city of Astana. (US Army photo by Sgt. Brandon Hubbard) WASHINGTON — The war in Ukraine has prompted “introspection” among Central Asian nations about buying military equipment mostly from Russia, and pushed them to look farther from home for arms — from Beijing all the way to Washington, according to State Department officials. “