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

In midst of Russian invasion of Ukraine, President of Kazakhstan, Kassym-Jomart Tokayev h a conversation with Russian President Vlimir Putin to talk about Ukraine crisis among or things. Putin briefed Kazakh President on status of special operation in Ukraine, including Russian-Ukrainian talks. During ir conversation, importance of securing agreements on Ukraine's neutral, n-aligned, nuclear-free stance was widely ackwledged.

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

'Kazakhstan will t assist Russia in avoiding Western sanctions'

However, a senior Kazakh official, Timur Suleimev has stated that Kazakhstan will t assist Russia in avoiding Western sanctions placed on Moscow as a result of Russia's ongoing invasion of Ukraine. Suleimev also that Kazakhstan will maintain ecomic ties with Russia within Eurasian Ecomic Union and y will continue to invest in Russia and seek investment for Russia but y do also keep track of 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 two countries. Suleimev also said that Kazakhstan respects Ukraine's territorial integrity and it did t recognise and will t recognise  annexation of Crimea, as well as 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 same category as Russia

He furr said that y are members of Eurasian Ecomic Union and that y are a sovereign nation with ir own system, and y will follow restrictions set on Russia and Belarus. He also said that y don't want to be put in same category as m. Belarus, Armenia, Kyrgyzstan, and Kazakhstan are all members of Eurasian Ecomic Union, which is heed by Russia. Moscow envisioned grouping as a counterweight to European Union, but observers believe it is mostly a means for Moscow to wield ecomic power over or countries.

Im: AP