Kazakhstan’s action on Ukrainian soil may not suit Russian President Vladimir Putin at all. Image: Pool Sputnik Kremlin / Mikhail Klimentyev
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Kazakhstan is helping with a special campaign People on Ukrainian soil. This is likely to infuriate Russian President Vladimir Putin. After all, Kazakhstan has long been considered its close ally. Since the illegal war of aggression against the Ukraine the tide has turned.
Kazakh President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev and Putin were once considered close allies. Image: IMAGO / ITAR-TASS
Kazakhstan rebels against Russia
Kazakh President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev spoke out against the war right from the start. This caused great tension between the two countries. “Putin never saw this region as a place he could lose in the foreseeable future,” Central Asia expert Temur Umarov told Watson. The political scientist conducts research at the Carnegie Foundation for “International Peace”.
The war of aggression on Ukraine has shaken many Kazakhs. This is also observed by the social scientist Azamat Junisbai from Pitzer College in California. Even those who previously had nothing to do with politics are interested in what is happening. “Cause it’s so real: It could also have been Kazakhstan or we could be next”the native Kazakh says to watson.
An elderly woman stands in front of the rubble of her home in Ukraine. The war brings a lot of suffering to the people.Image: AP / Andriy Andriyenko
Kazakhs ignite a spark of humanity in the war zone Ukraine
No wonder Kazakhstan has been trying to break away from it ever since Russia to solve wherever possible. In doing so, it repeatedly tests Putin’s limits. As is the case now with an extraordinary campaign that brings Kazakh and Ukrainian people closer together – in the midst of everyday life marked by war.
Kazakhstan established two “yurts of invincibility” in the Ukrainian cities of Bucha and Kyiv. According to Central Asia expert Umarov, more tents will soon be erected in cities in Ukraine. And how does the Kremlin react to this?
“Russia is enraged by another ally’s ‘stab in the back'”writes Umarov Twitter. According to him, Moscow does not understand that Russian aggression is bringing the two countries ever closer together.
“The first yurt in Bucha provoked an angry reaction from Russia, so they decided to set up a second one,” writes Bakhti Nishanov on Twitter. He works as a consultant for the US Commission on Security and Cooperation in Europe. It is a place where people in Ukraine rest and warm up, drink tea and charge their phones.
“Yurts of invincibility” – the idea for this came from a Ukrainian
The idea for the “yurts of invincibility” came from the Ukrainian deputy Serhii Nagornyak, head of the Verkhovna Rada government institution for interparliamentary relations with Kazakhstan.
The initiative was also supported by the “Kazakh Diaspora”. A collective term for people of Kazakh descent living in various countries outside of Kazakhstan. “More than 60,000 ethnic Kazakhs live in Ukraine and more than 300,000 Ukrainians live in Kazakhstan”, explains Umarov on Twitter. In the 1920s, over 1.3 million Ukrainians lived in the Central Asian country.
According to him, thousands of families form the backbone of the Ukrainian and Kazakh families relationship. A league that Russia probably underestimated. The Kremlin’s reaction to the yurts has been somewhat sour.
Russia demands a statement from Kazakhstan on the yurts
Umarov further explains via Twitter: “Although it is not a state-level initiative, Russia reacted as if it were one.” According to him, Russian press spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said: “In order to avoid further processing of this issue, which is harmful to the Russian-Kazakh alliance, an official comment from our friends is very desirable.”
This is followed by a response from the Kazakh Foreign Ministry.
Kazakhstan responds to Russia’s outrage: “So what?”
The representative of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Kazakhstan, Aibek Smadiyarov, briefly responds to Zakharova’s words with a “So what?”
Smadiyarov further says:
“This is an initiative of private Kazakh companies. We can’t stop them. They assembled, delivered and installed it themselves. We don’t see any problems here.”
Kazakhstan is appearing with a new composure that is beginning to scare Putin. After all, an important strategic ally is slipping from Russia’s hands.
The war in Ukraine has drawn a rift between Kazakhstan and Russia. Image: Pool Sputnik Kremlin / Mikhail Klimentyev
Born in Kazakh Yunisbai asked around in his country and many people told him: “The Ukrainians are also fighting for us Kazakhs.” The war of aggression against Ukraine, which violates international law, has made it clear to the Kazakh people: It could have happened to us too.
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