Kazakhstan's Tokayev tells Putin it is time to "freeze" Russia's war against Ukraine
Kazakh President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev has told Russian leader Vladimir Putin that he still does not understand why Russia launched its aggression against Ukraine, adding that "the conflict should be frozen based on the Istanbul agreements".
Source: Telegram channel Vy slushali mayak (You have been listening to Radio Mayak), which posted video footage of a meeting between Tokayev and Putin; the Kremlin website
Quote from the Kazakh president: "Perhaps it is time to freeze this conflict and return to the Istanbul 2.0 formula, as significant results were achieved there. After that – naturally under guarantees from major powers, including Russia – we can move forward."
Details: Tokayev added that the nature of the Russian war against Ukraine is "not entirely clear to many, including ourselves".
"Let's say that when there was a conflict – including the frozen one between Azerbaijan and Armenia – the essence and origins of that were entirely clear to us; they stretched deep into history. But here, it is very difficult to understand," the Kazakh president said.
According to Tokayev, he chose to address the issue because he has been receiving "many signals" regarding Russia's war against Ukraine.
"I will not hide that I have been receiving many signals, which I informed you about over the phone. Signals from Europe and the United States of America regarding the current state of the conflict between Ukraine and Russia," Tokayev stated.
The meeting between Putin and Tokayev took place in Omsk, Russia, during the XXII Forum of Interregional Cooperation between Russia and Kazakhstan.
Background:
- In June, Putin claimed that Russia was willing to negotiate, but only on the basis of the Istanbul agreements reached in May 2025, which are unfavourable to Ukraine.
- According to media reports, the Russians in Istanbul demanded that US representatives be excluded from talks with the Ukrainian delegation and also put forward a series of conditions that were inherently unacceptable to Ukraine.
- Vladimir Medinsky, head of the Russian delegation in Istanbul, declared during the talks that Russia was prepared for an endless war against Ukraine and threatened to also seize Sumy and Kharkiv oblasts.
- Bloomberg, citing sources familiar with the negotiations, reported that during a closed meeting in Istanbul on 16 May 2025, Russian representatives outlined several demands to the Ukrainian delegation as conditions for a ceasefire. These included Ukraine relinquishing territory and waiving claims to reparations.
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