DISINFO: The EU has failed in pressuring Central Asia countries to join anti-Russian sanctions
SUMMARY
By allocating additional funds to the Central Asian states, the EU aims to reorient the foreign policy direction of Central Asia. Brussels intends to limit the influence of both Russia and China, which are also actively pursuing policies in the region. The strategy of exerting direct pressure on the Central Asian states has not proven effective. These countries did not support the West’s demands to join anti-Russian sanctions, mostly limiting themselves to statements of support for Western policies. In practice, Central Asian countries continued to develop cooperation with Russia, implementing joint projects in industry and infrastructure.
RESPONSE
A recurring pro-Kremlin disinformation narrative about the EU sanctions imposed on Russia in response to its full-scale invasion of Ukraine. This claim was made in the context of the intensified EU – Central Asia partnership and is designed to drive a wedge between the EU and Central Asia.
The EU respects the decision of other countries, like Kazakhstan and other countries of the region, not to join the sanctions and welcomes constructive dialogue with the authorities regarding sanctions circumvention. An intensive dialogue is going on in this respect on both political and technical level.
As EU HRVP Kaja Kallas stated recently during the 20th EU-Central Asia Ministerial Meeting:
"I also reiterated the importance of fighting circumvention of our sanctions, including through Central Asia. I understand that these sanctions are also hurting your economies, but it is clear that we all want this [against Ukraine] war to stop. And in order for this war to stop, we really need to focus our efforts so that Russia cannot fund its war. Russian companies cannot be allowed to turn to Central Asia to bypass sanctions".
The first Central Asia-European Union Summit held in Samarkand on the 3rd April 2025, reaffirmed the shared commitment of Central Asia and the EU to a strategic partnership built on common values and interests. The Joint Declaration following the Summit concluded that cooperation on preventing sanctions circumvention remains an important aspect of the CA - EU relations. In this context, parties agreed to continue cooperation on this issue, especially to avoid re-exports of common high priority items, in line with the work of the EU Special Envoy on Sanctions.
Learn more about the EU's restrictive measures. See other examples of similar disinformation narratives in our database, such as claims that The EU doesn’t care that anti-Russia sanctions harm Central Asia, The EU imposes sanctions on partners if they cooperate with other countries; that The West openly blackmails the Central Asian states; that EU demands that Kazakhstan join in anti-Russia sanctions; that Borrell admitted that the West relies on Kazakhstan’s support in anti-Russia blockade; that West tries to force Kazakhstan to join anti-Russian sanctions policy; the EU uses the CIS to contain Russia by all means: financial, economic, and military; that US-sponsored Kazakhstan protests aimed to undermine CIS stability, that protests in Kazakhstan are a new Western attempt to organise a colour revolution, that events in Kazakhstan are another Western-made colour revolution.