Uzbekistan supports territorial integrity of Ukraine

Uzbekistan recognizes the territorial integrity and sovereignty of Ukraine and does not recognize the so-called republics of Luhansk and Donetsk in the eastern Donbas region, its foreign minister said Thursday.

Abdulaziz Kamilov told parliament the situation in Ukraine "raises serious concern" in Uzbekistan.

"Uzbekistan recognizes Ukraine's independence, sovereignty and territorial integrity. We do not recognize the (so-called) people's republics of Luhansk and Donetsk," he said.

"We are in favor of a peaceful solution to the situation and the resolution of the conflict through political and diplomatic means. However, for this, attacks and violence must be stopped immediately," he added.

Uzbekistan has traditionally had multifaceted relations with Russia and Ukraine, he said, and it cooperates with both countries by taking into account national interests.

"Uzbekistan provided humanitarian aid to Ukraine during this difficult period and will continue to do so, taking into account the situation," said Kamilov.

- Armed conflicts abroad

Kamilov said that according to its foreign policy, Uzbekistan will not join any military-political bloc and Uzbek soldiers will not be involved in armed conflicts abroad.

Western sanctions against Russia directly affect Uzbekistan, said Kamilov, who stressed the importance of taking measures to protect the country from the negative effects of sanctions.

Regarding the evacuation of Uzbek nationals from Ukraine, Kamilov said nearly 6,000 have been evacuated and about 300 are still in the war-torn country.

Donbas in Eastern Ukraine has a large ethnic Russian population but Ukraine has denied the existence of any military threat.

Late last year, Russia began deploying tens of thousands of troops on its border with Ukraine. While the US said that Russia was preparing to invade, Russia repeatedly denied those allegations, saying soldiers were carrying out exercises.

Despite Western countries' threats to impose sanctions on Russia, Moscow recognized two Russian-backed separatist enclaves in Donbas and began to launch attacks on Ukrainian territory on Feb. 24.

Although negotiations continue between the two sides, Russia's attack on Ukraine from the east, north and south is nearly three weeks old.

The Russia-Ukraine war has drawn international condemnation, led to financial restrictions on Moscow and spurred an exodus of global firms from Russia.

At least 780 civilians have been killed and 1,252 injured in Ukraine since the beginning of the war, according to the UN, while noting that conditions on the ground make it difficult to verify the true number.

Nearly 3.2 million people have also fled to neighboring countries, said the UN refugee agency.