Uzbekistan, a Central Asian country with close ties to Russia, has also stood up against the Russian attack on Ukraine. Uzbekistan on Thursday called for a diplomatic solution to the conflict in Ukraine and said it would not recognize Moscow-backed separatist “countries” in Ukraine.
It is the strongest anti-war statement ever made by Russia’s former Soviet allies. Uzbek Foreign Minister Abdulaziz Kamilov told parliament that “Tashkent wants to maintain good relations with both Moscow and Kyiv, but we oppose war.”
He said, “First of all, Uzbekistan is seriously concerned with the situation around Ukraine. Second, we are supportive of finding a peaceful solution to this situation and resolving the conflict through political and diplomatic means. But in order to do so, First, the enmity and violence must stop immediately.”
Uzbekistan’s economy relies heavily on exports to Russia as well as money remitted by Uzbek citizens working in Russia. It became an observer in the Russian-led economic bloc in 2020, although it had stayed away from a similar Soviet military bloc following its dissolution from the Soviet Union.
By the way, none of Russia’s other Central Asian allies, which were part of the Moscow-dominated Soviet Union, supported the invasion of Ukraine, although they were less vocal in speaking out against it. In such a situation, this is the first time that a strong ally of Russia has protested like this.
Kazakh President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev said last week that “all countries must strictly adhere to the norms and principles of the Charter of the United Nations” and “look for new diplomatic opportunities to resolve the conflict peacefully”. should be known”. Both Uzbekistan and Kazakhstan have said they will provide humanitarian aid to Ukraine.