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Russia’s war against Ukraine and intensifying rivalry among the world’s great powers have increased Central Asian states’ vulnerability to psychological and economic coercion. Yet most studies of resilience and national defence focus on Western liberal democracies. This article examines how Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan, two post-colonial Central Asian states, are developing resilience and psychological defences amid competing external pressures. The authors argue that these countries’ approach is best understood as ‘resilience by design’: a sovereignty-first strategy that combines state-led domestic control, regional coordination and diversified external partnerships. Together, these layers expand the countries’ room for strategic manoeuvre while protecting sovereignty, regime stability and national identity.