Kazakhstan Refuses to Recognize Russia’s Referendums in Occupied Ukrainian Territories

Members of the local electoral commission gather at a polling station ahead of the planned referendum on the joining of the self-proclaimed Donetsk People's Republic to Russia, in Donetsk on Sept. 22, 2022. Alexander Ermochenko/Reuters

Kazakhstan has stated that it will not recognize Kremlin-organized referendums in four occupied regions in Ukraine aimed at annexing territory to Russia, despite being a close ally of Russia.

Foreign Ministry spokesperson Aibek Smadiyarov said Monday that Kazakhstan’s stance on the referendum is consistent with “the principles of territorial integrity of states, their sovereign equivalence and peaceful coexistence.”