Kazakhstan tightrope between Russia and the West

RUSSIA / FSU POLITICS - In Brief 22 Jun 2022 by Alex Teddy
Kazakhstan is in an invidious position as a CSTO and EAU ally of Russia that does not support Russia's invasion of Ukraine. In January 2022 President Tokayev availed himself of military support from CSTO in the face of massive protests. Tokayev attended the St Petersburg Economic Forum and shared a stage with Putin. Putin then said the whole erstwhile USSR was ''historical Russia'' and said the other former USSR countries too could experience what Ukraine is suffering if they disrespected Russia. Tokayev reiterated that Kazakhstan does not recognize the Donetsk People's Republic and Luhansk People's Republic, South Ossetia and Abkhazia. He said to recognize them would be like recognizing Taiwan. Tokayev also said that his country did not bow to Russia. 20% of Kazakh citizens are ethnically Russia. Ethnic Russians are the majority in some towns close to Russia. Some Russian opinion formers have claimed that Russia should seize this land. Russians have voiced their frustration that Kazakhstan is not helping them especially as Russia sent troops to help the Kazakhs in January 2022.  A few Kazakhs have demonstrated in favor of Ukraine. They believe that they could be the next Ukraine.  In 2022 Kazakhstan cancelled Victory Day. The parade celebrates the Second World War. In Russia it is a day of Soviet nostalgia. Kazakhstan had never cancelled the celebration before.  Kazakhstan is enforcing Western sanctions on Russia. Nursultan is seeking to re-route energy supplies to Europe so that these do not go via Russia. Kazakhstan has had a complicated relationship with Russia for several years. It is not as rosy as Moscow pretended. But the Ukraine War has made the faultlines bla...

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