Ukraine's president Volodymyr Zelenskyy speaking to journalists from Central Asia. Screenshot from the video “Владимир Зеленский пообщался с представителями СМИ Центральной Азии. Главные темы разговора” from the Freedom. Live YouTube channel. Fair use.

On May 24, Ukraine’s president Volodymyr Zelenskyy gave his first interview to journalists from Central Asia in the eastern Ukrainian city of Kharkiv. The interview took place at the destroyed printing house, which had been hit by a Russian missile a day earlier. Journalists and activists from Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, and Uzbekistan requested  Zelenskyy to speak in Russian, and he agreed since they “are not from Russia.”

Here is Zelenskyy's interview with Central Asian journalists.

When asked why he decided to give an interview to Central Asian journalists after more than two years of war, Zelenskyy noted the importance of them visiting Ukraine and seeing everything in person, so that “others cannot advance their narratives” about the war. He added people in Central Asia should see “the real consequences of the war, what the Russian world brings and what it will definitely try to bring” to the region.

The interview came at a time when people in Central Asia remain divided regarding their opinion on the war in Ukraine. In 2023, 75 percent of respondents in Kyrgyzstan and 67 percent in Kazakhstan closely followed the war in Ukraine, according to the public survey conducted by the Central Asia Barometer. Russia, Ukraine, and the US/West are viewed as three main parties responsible for the war.

Although the narratives about the US/West and Ukraine being guilty for the war are widespread, there is also a considerable number of people who blame Russia or struggle to make up their mind on who is to blame. There is room for Ukraine to promote its narratives in Central Asia as part of its outreach work with the global majority.

The dangers of being in Russia’s orbit were a big part of the interview as Zelenskyy noted that the Central Asian states cannot be truly safe and independent as long as they remain aligned with the Kremlin. He stated that the Russia-led integration projects, such as the Collective Security Treaty Organization and the Eurasian Economic Union, serve as tools to exert influence and will not save the region from possible military aggression in the future.

Zelenskyy added that, should Central Asian states pursue policies that contradict Russia’s interests, they will face either partial occupation or “a full-scale invasion, and, of course, death and war.” Kazakhstan was listed as one of Russia’s most likely targets due to them sharing a border and the large number of ethnic Russians living in Kazakhstan, who make up 15.1 percent of the population.

These warnings are not figments of Zelenskyy’s imagination. Since the start of the war in Ukraine in February 2022, Russia’s rhetoric towards Central Asia has grown increasingly hostile, questioning the regional states’ agency, sovereignty, and territorial integrity. Russian politicians and media figures have threatened Central Asian states with invasion and annexation, using language similar to that used against Ukraine prior to its invasion.

The war in Ukraine has forced Central Asian states to walk a diplomatic tightrope by balancing between aiding Russia’s war efforts and avoiding Western sanctions. Although they declare a neutral position, the regional states de-facto lean towards Russia, which uses them to import sanctioned items to manufacture weapons and military equipment.

Here is a YouTube video about how Central Asian companies are helping Russia bypass Western sanctions.

Zelenskyy explained this contradiction between statements and actions with “the fear of Kremlin,” adding that it is the same fear that will keep Central Asian leaders from attending the upcoming Summit on Peace in Ukraine, which will be held on June 15–16 in Switzerland.

Russia’s grip over the region does not leave not much room to develop official ties between Ukraine and Central Asia, but people-to-people relations are a different story, with Central Asian peoples expressing solidarity and offering help to Ukrainians. These gestures are recognized by Zelenskyy who aptly summed it up with “I believe that your peoples are our friends.”