Kazakhstan's Foreign Ministry has expressed its approval of China's 12-point peace plan for Russia's war with Ukraine, saying it is "worthy of support" based on UN principles.
The post-Soviet republic's Central Asian statement avoided condemning either side in the conflict, which began with Russia's covert occupation of Crimea in 2014 and escalated dramatically with its full-scale invasion one year ago.
"The Republic of Kazakhstan, approving the position of the People's Republic of China on the political settlement of the Ukrainian crisis, expresses that [the plan] is worthy of support to stop the bloodshed based on the principles of the United Nations, based on the territorial integrity, independence, and sovereignty of the state," the Kazakh Foreign Ministry said.
Beijing, which claims neutrality but entered into a "no limits friendship" with Moscow weeks before the invasion, unveiled a plan a week ago that echoes Russian talking points, including blaming the West for the unprovoked invasion and criticizing sanctions against Russia.
Astana has not openly condemned Russia's invasion.
But it has declared its respect for the territorial integrity of Ukraine and refuses to recognize Moscow's declaration in September of the annexation of four partly occupied regions of Ukraine.
Kazakhstan's delegation abstained this week from a UN resolution demanding that Russia withdraw its troops from Ukraine.
Kazakh Foreign Minister Mukhtar Tileuberdi had said "abstention is also a position," adding that "we voted taking into account our national interest."
"We believe that there is no alternative to solving this problem peacefully based on international law and UN principles," the Kazakh ministry's statement said.
"We advocate that the parties involved in the military conflict show goodwill, stop fighting and sit down at the negotiating table, and that the world community contribute to resolving the situation in the most diplomatic way."
Kazakh President Qasym-Zhomart Toqaev in November urged a "formula for peace" but also told President Vladimir Putin that Russia remains a strong strategic partner despite public disagreements over the war in Ukraine.
Kazakhstan and Central Asia's other four post-Soviet republics have sizable minorities of ethnic Russians along with security ties rooted in decades of Russian hegemony.
Following up on Beijing's announcement of a plan for peace, Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi met with Putin and other senior Russian officials in Moscow this week and urged a "political solution" to the conflict in Ukraine.
Kyiv reacted cautiously to Beijing's peace plan, saying it had not been consulted on its contents.