Relations between the Central Asian SCO Members and Russia after the Start of the Special Military Operation in Ukraine

According to the position of the Russian Federation, in order to prevent the emergence of a pro-fascist militaristic state near its borders, aimed at the physical extermination of Donbass residents who disagree with Kiev's aggressive policy, which is actively supported by the “collective West”, Moscow was forced to launch a special military operation in Ukraine in February 2022. Its beginning united the members of NATO and the EU in their confrontation with Russia. The same cannot be said about the Russia's allies, including those from the Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO) and the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO). The purpose of this article is to analyze the relations of the Central Asian SCO members with Russia after it launched a special operation in Ukraine and the nuances of their foreign and domestic policy. The author comes to the following conclusions. Western leaders are trying to convince the leadership of the Central Asian members of the SCO to condemn Russia's actions in Ukraine and change the balance of power in the post-Soviet space. Despite their pressure, these states take a neutral position towards Russia, as it still remains their main economic partner and successfully develops humanitarian and military cooperation with them. Some of these republics are ready to act as a platform for Russia to obtain the necessary raw materials and equipment, bypassing the Western sanctions regime. They expect that in the future the Russian authorities will successfully complete this operation on favorable terms for the Russian security, without involving for that the CSTO forces. In case of failure of the Russian special operation in Ukraine, the authorities of these countries may reorient the national vectors of geopolitical and economic development to other actors.