Who is neutral and who is for Russia? How the position of the Central Asian countries on the conflict in Ukraine changed during the year of the war

For a year now, the war in Ukraine has been going on, and so far not a single Central Asian country has supported or publicly condemned the Russian invasion of a neighboring country, preferring to take an emphatically neutral position. The war put the authorities of the Central Asian countries in an awkward position. On the one hand, Moscow is their main political and economic ally. On the other hand, the West can impose sanctions on them for supporting Russia.

Present Time has studied how the position of the Central Asian countries on the war in Ukraine has changed over the year.

UZBEKISTAN

Uzbekistan first appeared in the news feed in the context of the war in Ukraine the day after the start of the Russian invasion. On February 25, President Shavkat Mirziyoyev and Russian leader Vladimir Putin spoke by phone on the subject. However, the press services of the two presidents presented their conversation in different ways. The Kremlin then stated that Uzbekistan allegedly reacted “with understanding” to Russia’s actions in Ukraine. But there were no such lines in the official Tashkent’s message: a day later, Mirziyoyev’s press secretary stressed in a statement that Uzbekistan takes a neutral position in the conflict between Russia and Ukraine.

A year after the start of the war, Tashkent officially did not change its neutral opinion. But at the same time, Uzbekistan was one of the first in Central Asia to call for an end to hostilities, and refused to recognize the separatist so-called “DNR” and “LNR.” During Russian “referendums” in the occupied regions of Ukraine (neither Kyiv nor Western countries recognize them), Tashkent declared that they respect the territorial integrity of states.

SEE ALSO: Electronics, electric stoves, perfumery: Central Asia has sharply increased exports to Russia. Experts believe that this is how Moscow circumvents sanctions

KYRGYZSTAN

In the first days of the war, the Russian media also tried to speculate on the official position of Bishkek. After a telephone conversation between Sadyr Zhaparov and Putin, RIA Novosti reported that the President of Kyrgyzstan during the conversation allegedly supported Russia’s actions to invade Ukraine. Then Zhaparov’s press secretary had to give explanations: he clarified that Kyrgyzstan was in favor of a peaceful settlement of the conflict.

In April 2022, Zhaparov, contrary to the Russian position, directly called the war in Ukraine a “war” and not a “special operation” (the official Kremlin insists on this term, which continues to declare that it “is not at war with the people of Ukraine”, but only with the “Kiev mode”). Zhaparov also said then that Kyrgyzstan adheres to neutrality in the conflict between Kyiv and Moscow.

Official Bishkek still holds this position. True, at the same time, the authorities of Kyrgyzstan disrupted protest rallies near the Russian embassy several times and do not react in any way to the recruitment of Kyrgyz citizens who are serving sentences in Russian colonies for the war.

SEE ALSO: Another Kyrgyzstani died in the war in Ukraine: he was recruited from the Russian colony into Wagner PMC

On the other hand, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Kyrgyzstan did not react in any way to Moscow’s recognition of the so-called “LPR” and “DPR”. But President Sadyr Zhaparov at the same time voiced a pro-Putin position: that “perhaps this was a necessary measure to protect the civilian population of the Donbass territories.”

KAZAKHSTAN

Perhaps the most daring position on the war in Ukraine of all countries in the region was taken by Kazakhstan: it is possible that this was due to the aggravation of Russian-Kazakh relations and the issue of the status of the territories of Northern Kazakhstan.

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A week after the start of the Russian invasion of Ukraine, Kazakh President Tokayev called on Moscow and Kyiv to negotiate. Then words were heard from Astana that Ukraine should remain an independent and territorially integral state. In Kazakhstan, from the very beginning, the war is called a “war” and they promise that Western sanctions against Russia will be strictly observed. Tokayev also called the so-called “LPR” and “DPR” “quasi-state entities” and explained that Kazakhstan has never recognized self-proclaimed countries.

Official Astana has more than once had to evade the attacks of the Russian Foreign Ministry – for example, because of the installation of Kazakh “yurts of invincibility” in Bucha and Kyiv. In response, over the course of the year, Russian officials have repeatedly accused Kazakhstan of allegedly growing nationalism and even threatened it with the Ukrainian scenario.

“Yurts of indestructibility”: ethnic Kazakhs help residents of destroyed Ukrainian cities to warm themselves

TAJIKISTAN

Tajik officials first commented on the war in Ukraine only a week before its anniversary: ​​no statements had been made on the matter before. Foreign Minister of the country Sirojiddin Muhriddin said that Dushanbe is in favor of an early end to the war, stressing that Tajikistan traditionally has good relations with both Russia and Ukraine. He also noted that the authorities are against the participation of citizens of the republic located on the territory of Russia in the hostilities: they, like the Kyrgyz, are actively recruited both into combat units and to work in the occupied territories of Ukraine.

SEE ALSO: Migrants from Tajikistan complained to the police – they were not paid the promised money for digging trenches in Zaporozhye

TURKMENISTAN

Turkmenistan almost never speaks out on foreign policy issues: the country has been officially neutral for more than twenty years. However, local media regularly report that Ashgabat is leaning towards Russia in the military conflict in Ukraine. For example, journalists from the Turkmen service of Radio Liberty wrote that Turkmen officials hold meetings during which they accuse the West of provoking a war in Ukraine.

Another case is indicative: during the meeting of the OSCE Ministerial Council in early December, the representative of Turkmenistan Khemra Amannazarov left the hall during the speech of the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine Dmitry Kuleba, but returned immediately after his Ukrainian counterpart had finished his speech.