As two countries that were once a part of the Russian Empire and the USSR, both Ukraine and Kazakhstan have a shared history. They also share a degree of commonality due to the complexities of their relationship with the Russian Federation and the Kremlin. When Russia decided to invade Ukraine on February 24, 2022, the complexities of the Russia-Kazakhstan-Ukraine dynamic became all the more acute, and Kazakhstan’s leaders and people were put in a challenging position.
Kazakhstan has managed to maintain a close relationship with both Russia and Ukraine for some time. This has left Kazakhstan’s leaders in a precarious situation following Russia’s recent decision to invade Ukraine. When a series of massive protests broke out in Kazakhstan in January 2022, President Tokayev immediately called upon President Putin, confided in him, and eventually made a request for 2,500 Russian-led soldiers to be deployed to Kazakhstan.
When civil unrest broke out in Kazakhstan, Putin had already been in the midst of an intimidation campaign that targeted and put a great sense of pressure on Ukraine and its people. As such, Ukrainians were highly concerned about how their independence and political rights were threatened. Kazakhstan’s protesters were experiencing a similar sense of threat during this time, and Ukrainians made their support for the Kazakh protesters known.
As massive protests brewed over in Kazakhstan, Ukrainians also took to the streets of Kyiv and Kharkiv to defend their independence and stand in solidarity with Kazakhstan’s protesters. They held up signs that read “Say no to Putin” and flew Ukrainian flags alongside Kazakhstan flags.
When the protests in Kazakhstan began to subside, President Tokayev expressed gratitude to Russia for its help. Despite a seemingly neutral relationship between Kazakhstan and Russia, however, it is nevertheless evident that President Putin is not necessarily concerned about Russia’s allyship with Kazakhstan. Instead, Putin is more concerned with maintaining a sense of control and influence over Kazakhstan. Just like Ukraine, Kazakhstan has a purpose of serving in the eyes of Putin.
Just two days before Russia officially invaded Ukraine, Kazakhstan’s President Tokayev held an emergency meeting of the Security Council in Akorda to discuss the country’s need for an anti-crisis plan. Tokayev initiated this meeting due to the rising tensions between Russia and Ukraine. The cabinet discussed international security topics while also questioning how they could ensure the sustainability of Kazakhstan throughout these trying times.
While Kazakhstan was previously not directly involved in the matter between Russia and Ukraine, Russia recently sent out a request for Kazakhstan to deploy its troops and side with them. As of February 25, 2022, that request was denied. Interestingly, Kazakhstan’s decision to reject Russia’s request has been met by the approval of the United States. Also, the country has not sided with Russia in recognizing the independence of Moscow-backed separatist provinces in eastern Ukraine. In addition, the Remstroyservice, a TV provider based in the town of Shakhtinsk in central Kazakhstan, has blocked all Russian television stations over their coverage of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
The lack of Kazakh media coverage present at this time is likely another indication that Kazakhstan desires to be as uninvolved as possible. While the relationship between Kazakhstan and Russia is still engulfed in a wave of uncertainty, it is evident that Kazakhstan’s leaders are not interested in getting involved in the Russia-Ukraine crisis at this time.
