Europe 1 with AFP
Vladimir Poutine and his Kazakh counterpart Kassym-Jomart Tokaïev had a “long” telephone conversation to discuss the crisis situation in Kazakhstan, shaken since Sunday by a crisis of protest after a rise in gas prices. The two leaders agreed to stay in “permanent” contact.
Russian President Vladimir Poutine and his Kazakh counterpart Kassym-Jomart Tokayev had a “long” telephone conversation to discuss the crisis situation in Kazakhstan, the Kremlin announced on Saturday in a statement. “The presidents exchanged views on measures taken to restore order in Kazakhstan,” the statement said, adding that the two leaders agreed to stay in “permanent” contact.
Riots against the regime in place
Moscow also denounced the “rude” comments of US Secretary of State Antony Blinken, who warned on Friday that it would be “very difficult” for Kazakhstan to obtain the withdrawal of Russian troops once the green light has been granted for a intervention on its territory. “The US secretary of state tried to make fun of the tragedy unfolding in Kazakhstan,” the Russian Foreign Ministry said in a statement posted on Facebook. “It was a crass attempt and it is not the first,” he added the ministry. Antony Blinken has, according to this press release, “ridiculed an entirely legitimate reaction” within the framework of the security agreements between Kazakhstan and Russia.
Kazakhstan, the largest country in Central Asia, is shaken by a protest that erupted in the provinces on Sunday after a rise in gas prices before spreading to large cities, including Almaty, the economic capital, where the demonstrations have degenerated into riots against the regime in place, which left dozens of people dead. Russia has sent troops there to support power.