Tokayev calls for freeze in war against Ukraine and praises Putin
Photo: Kazakhstan President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev (Getty Images)
Kazakhstan’s President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev praised Russian President Vladimir Putin as an "outstanding statesman." However, he called on him to "freeze" the war against Ukraine, DWS News reports.
Tokayev praises Putin
Tokayev also said that he considers the Kremlin leader the most acceptable political figure for Central Asia, Europe, and the entire world.
According to him, he is grateful to Putin for understanding his personal position on the war in Ukraine.
Kazakhstan calls for an end to the war
At the same time, the president of Kazakhstan stressed that Astana has adhered to the provisions of the UN Charter since the beginning of Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine.
"We have great respect for the Ukrainian people, their history, culture, traditions, and, of course, the Ukrainian language," he said.
Tokayev said he considers an immediate end to the war unrealistic and instead advocates stopping the fighting.
"I spoke about freezing the hostilities on the territory of Ukraine in order to move to a process of diplomatic or any other negotiations. That is our position," the president of Kazakhstan said.
Relations with Russia
However, according to Tokayev, Kazakhstan seeks to maintain friendly relations with Russia as well. The countries share a 7,597-kilometer border, while 2.7 million ethnic Russians live in Kazakhstan and there is an Orthodox Church.
"All these factors need to be taken into account. We cannot act rashly. Kazakhstan needs peace and stability. Without this, we will never become a successful country," he said.
Earlier, RBC-Ukraine reported that Kazakhstan was introducing new entry rules for Russians. They will now have to pay for an electronic permit to cross the border, while the system itself will involve creating a digital profile with biometric data.
In addition, Tokayev recently proposed to Putin, during a personal meeting with the President, to "freeze" Russia’s war against Ukraine and return to the terms of the 2022 negotiations in Istanbul.
