Well true, there is still a nuclear capability here. But, also, control of the Caspian region is no small deal - amongst other things. Geopolitically Russia is a very big deal. It'd hardly be wise for the US to ignore it. They already have troops crawling all over central Asia (to deal with the 'terrorists' dontchaknow).

Who knows what the CIA is doing just a little south of here, around Georgia, Chechnya and all that stuff.
Typical example of a conspiracy theory you could throw around: anyone notice what's happened to the local leader in Ajaria just now, when they're constructing that big f-off pipeline to Batumi? Maybe he was seen as 'not playing ball' with the US via their puppet in Tbilisi, and certain things were 'engineered'?
[btw this is not an 'opinion', more an example of a possibility..]