Kazakhstan adds uncertainty to US talks with Russia on Ukraine
Russia’s decision to send paratroopers into Kazakhstan has raised additional uncertainty into upcoming US talks this week over a possible Russian invasion of Ukraine. The question is if the unrest in Kazakhstan has changed the decision-making of Russian President Vladimir Putin as he weighs his options in Ukraine.
Experts have speculated that the conflict in Kazakhstan could make Putin more open to compromise, while other experts say that Russia’s intervention into Kazakhstan may add new urgency to shore up Russia’s power in the region with former Soviet countries. The protests in Kazakhstan began on Jan. 2 over a doubling of gas prices and discontent with the current authoritarian government.
Russia entered Kazakhstan with its troops on Thursday after Kazakh President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev invoked the help of the Russian- led Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO). The next day, the Kazakh President ordered forces to shoot any protestors that do not surrender. Roughly 8,000 people have been detained by the police so far.
The tensions have led to Washington and Moscow exchanging jabs. On Friday, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken said that Kazakhstan might have a hard time getting Russian troops to leave. The Russian foreign ministry called his remarks “typically offensive” and told Washington to analyze its own track record of interventions in countries like Iraq and Vietnam.
The US has warned for weeks that Putin has stained troops near Ukraine with the possible intent of invading Ukraine. Washington and Kyiv have heightened their cooperation on intelligence and security. In exchange for easing tensions with Ukraine, Putin demanded that NATO halt membership plans for Ukraine. Both the US and NATO rejected the demand.
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