Russia's Putin talks to Kazakh President about Ukraine crisis, economic cooperation

In the midst of the Russian invasion of Ukraine, the President of Kazakhstan, Kassym-Jomart Tokayev had a conversation with Russian President Vladimir Putin to talk about the Ukraine crisis among other things. Putin briefed the Kazakh President on the status of the special operation in Ukraine, including the Russian-Ukrainian talks. During their conversation, the importance of securing agreements on Ukraine's neutral, non-aligned, nuclear-free stance was widely acknowledged.

Tokayev also had a detailed discussion with Putin about the current state and future prospects for trade and economic cooperation between the two countries. The leaders talked about the possibilities for deeper contact within Eurasian integration associations and underlined their shared commitment to bolstering strategic partnership relations between Russia and Kazakhstan. Recently, Russia helped Kazakhstan during the brutal riots back in January by sending troops to the former Soviet country to stabilise the situation.

'Kazakhstan will not assist Russia in avoiding Western sanctions'

However, a senior Kazakh official, Timur Suleimenov has stated that Kazakhstan will not assist Russia in avoiding Western sanctions placed on Moscow as a result of Russia's ongoing invasion of Ukraine. Suleimenov also that Kazakhstan will maintain economic ties with Russia within the Eurasian Economic Union and they will continue to invest in Russia and seek investment for Russia but they do also keep track of the things that have been sanctioned, according to Euractiv news.

Kazakhstan is one of Russia's biggest commercial partners, with a 7,600-kilometer border between the two countries. Suleimenov also said that Kazakhstan respects Ukraine's territorial integrity and it did not recognise and will not recognise the annexation of Crimea, as well as the independence of two separatist-controlled territories in eastern Ukraine, Donetsk People's Republic (DPR) and Luhansk People's Republic (LPR).

Kazakhstan doesn't want to be put in the same category as Russia

He further said that they are members of the Eurasian Economic Union and that they are a sovereign nation with their own system, and they will follow the restrictions set on Russia and Belarus. He also said that they don't want to be put in the same category as them. Belarus, Armenia, Kyrgyzstan, and Kazakhstan are all members of the Eurasian Economic Union, which is headed by Russia. Moscow envisioned the grouping as a counterweight to the European Union, but observers believe it is mostly a means for Moscow to wield economic power over the other countries.

Image: AP