Protests in Kazakhstan
Putin makes his position clear: Russia will not allow any “revolutions” in the former Soviet states
Putin attends an extraordinary session of the Collective Security Council of the Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO) via videoconference. After the serious unrest, the situation in Kazakhstan has calmed down, according to President Tokayev.
© Alexei Nikolsky / Pool Sputnik Kremlin / AP / DPA
Kazakhstan’s President Kassym-Shomart Tokayev and Russia’s President Vladimir Putin met via video link. Putin made it clear that he would not tolerate further uprisings.
After the serious unrest, the situation in Kazakhstan in Central Asia has calmed down, according to President Kassym-Shomart Tokayev. “Complete order has been restored in Kazakhstan. Threats to the security of the country have been averted,” said the head of state on Monday at a meeting of the Russian-led military alliance CSTO. The so-called anti-terrorist operation will soon be concluded. At the video switch of the heads of state and government of the Organization of the Collective Security Treaty (CSTO), Tokayev called the unrest an “attempted coup”. The goal was a seizure of power. At first he did not give any details.
Russian President Vladimir Putin was also present at the video switch. He will not allow any “revolutions” in the states of the former Soviet Union. Putin said Kazakhstan has become the target of “international terrorism”.
The CSTO, a Russian-led military alliance, sent 2,500 soldiers to Kazakhstan at the request of the Kazakh President. Putin stressed that the “peacekeeping forces” would only remain in the Central Asian country “for a limited period of time”. US Secretary of State Blinken had warned in view of the troop deployment on Friday that it would be difficult for Kazakhstan to push back Russian influence.
Unclear about the number of victims in Kazakhstan
At the video conference, Kazakhstan’s President Kassym-Shomart Tokayev described the violent protests in his country as an “attempted coup” and said that the Kazakh security forces would “never shoot” peaceful demonstrators.
According to the authorities, almost 8,000 people were arrested in the course of the protests. The media also reported at least 164 deaths on Sunday, citing the Ministry of Health. Hundreds more people were injured. The announcement of the state television was deleted without giving reasons. It is unclear whether the numbers are correct. Tokayev said 16 security guards were killed. How many civilians were killed is still being clarified.
Kazakhstan is sinking into chaos – the images of a state of emergency
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The former Soviet republic had been rocked in the past few days by unprecedented clashes between demonstrators and security forces. Protests, which were initially directed against rising gas prices, turned into demonstrations critical of the government across the country. Tokayev had blamed “terrorists” trained abroad for the unrest and issued an order to shoot demonstrators on Friday.