Tokayev calls to 'freeze' war in Ukraine

Kazakh President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev, during talks with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Omsk, called for a 'freeze' of the Russia-Ukraine war. A video of Tokayev's remarks was released by the Kremlin press service.

Tokayev stated that he has received many signals from the US and Europe regarding the conflict situation between Russia and Ukraine and that he informed Putin about them. He emphasized that this is not about a civil war. He noted his respect for the Ukrainian people, their culture, and language, but said the nature of the conflict is not fully clear to many, including Kazakhstan.

Tokayev compared the situation to the frozen conflict between Azerbaijan and Armenia, whose origins were historically understandable. He acknowledged that Putin showed 'maximum diplomatic flexibility' during previous talks with the US in Alaska. 'Perhaps this conflict should already be frozen and we should return to the Istanbul Formula 2.0, since significant results were achieved there. Naturally, with guarantees from the great powers, including Russia, and then move toward the long-awaited peace,' Tokayev suggested.

In response, Putin said he would provide Tokayev with detailed information on the situation on the 'Ukrainian front'. Kazakhstan is an ally of Russia but has never expressed support for Moscow's aggression against Ukraine.