Translated material
"Friends and Brothers"
Putin and Tokayev talk about friendship in Astana: is everything so good between Russia and Kazakhstan?
Vladimir Putin believes that relations between Russia and Kazakhstan have “reached the level of strategic partnership.” Astana and Moscow are expanding cooperation in the oil sector. Trade turnover between the countries will soon exceed the $30 billion mark.
At the meeting with Tokayev, Putin especially noted that the Russian language is widely used in Kazakhstan. Tokayev, in turn, emphasized that Russia and Kazakhstan are “friends and brothers.”
Vladimir Putin arrived in Astana on a state visit. It is noteworthy that this is Putin’s second state visit to Kazakhstan, which does not comply with diplomatic protocol. The "Agency" drew attention to the fact that when the Russian President moves around Astana, his motorcade is accompanied by an armored car with a position for a machine gunner, a helicopter and a vehicle that can be equipped with electronic warfare systems. Putin fears for safety even when visiting a friend.
Perhaps Putin’s second state visit to Kazakhstan is caused by fears of Kazakhstan’s rapprochement with the United States. The New York Times notes that leaders of the former Soviet republics of Central Asia are limiting their dependence on Moscow and Beijing and establishing ties with Washington. And Bloomberg believes that it is not for nothing that Donald Trump is hosting the leaders of Central Asia at the summit - the race for resources is intensifying.
We discuss relations between Russia and Kazakhstan, as well as symptoms of Astana’s distance from Moscow, with political scientists Natalia Shavshukova and Dimash Alzhanov .
Kazakhstan greeted Vladimir Putin with honors: from the moment it crossed the state border of Russia and Kazakhstan until landing in Astana, the Russian president’s plane was accompanied by fighter jets of the Kazakhstan Air Defense Forces. They left a smoke plume in the sky in the colors of the Russian flag. At the plane, Putin was greeted by a guard of honor. The Russian President's motorcade in Astana was accompanied by an armored car with a position for a machine gunner, a helicopter and a vehicle with an electronic warfare system. The solemn ceremony of meeting the Russian leader and the President of Kazakhstan Kassym-Jomart Tokayev took place at the Palace of Independence.
Putin and Tokayev talk about friendship in Astana: is everything so good between Russia and Kazakhstan?
by Radio Liberty Text copied width px height px The URL has been copied to your clipboard
No media source currently available
What is evidenced by the pomp with which Putin was greeted in Astana, and what are the specific results of the meeting between the presidents of the Russian Federation and Kazakhstan, political scientist Dimash Alzhanov told Radio Liberty:
This visit is being used to correct Putin's serious image losses associated with his international isolation
-I think all the pomp and ceremony of Vladimir Putin’s second state visit to Kazakhstan is associated with the Russian president’s attempt to show his presence in the region and to some extent protect Russia’s sphere of interests. The purpose of his visit is to clarify the procedures for contracts for the construction of nuclear power plants, which were agreed upon earlier. Russia has also shown that within the framework of the EAEU it continues to project its influence on post-Soviet countries, and on Central Asia, in particular. This visit is also being used to correct Putin’s serious image losses associated with his international isolation. The picture shown today from Astana is used for the domestic Russian audience.
Kazakhstan conducts its foreign policy, balancing between Russia and Europe. He is interested in a certain stability. And the main tension at the moment is connected precisely with this. By starting a war in Ukraine, Russia created risks for Kazakhstan, this affects the economic interests of the country, creates risks for revenues to the national budget of Kazakhstan, and jeopardizes important projects. Therefore, at the meeting with Putin, Tokayev spoke about the importance of peace. Despite the fact that the contract for the construction of a nuclear power plant has been signed, the future of this project remains quite illusory due to the situation in which Russia now finds itself. It is premature to say that Kazakhstan will have losses. On the other hand, this strains the relationship as a whole, Dimash Alzhanov is sure.
Why is the meeting in Astana important for Russia and Vladimir Putin, says political scientist Natalya Shavshukova :
Now Vladimir Putin is somewhat dependent on Kassym-Jomart Tokayev
-Now Vladimir Putin is somewhat dependent on Kassym-Jomart Tokayev. A significant part of the payments that Russian companies make with the West, and the money that goes from the West to Russia, is carried out through Kazakhstan. If Russia breaks these economic ties, it will suffer greatly. Therefore, Putin now looks a little like a vassal to Tokayev. The President of Kazakhstan, of course, is cautious and does not directly demonstrate his leadership position towards Putin. Nevertheless, everything is clear. Note that Tokayev at the last moment agreed to participate as a guest in the May parade in Moscow. This also says a lot - he had to beg. But now the summit is being held not in some Russian city, but in Kazakhstan.
In this case, Tokayev acts not just as a host, but as a contender for leadership in the Eurasian space. The Kremlin is now in a very vulnerable position. He even has to in some way curry favor with his partners and miss blows, as was recently the case with the Prime Minister of Armenia Nikol Pashinyan. Pashinyan hit Putin on the nose very hard. But Pashinyan has his own reasons for this. Putin tried to act as a guarantor of security in the Eurasian post-Soviet space, but he did not become such a guarantor. He surrendered Armenia, he surrendered his partners. Naturally, Pashinyan must now react to this. There are very big questions about him and inside Armenia. If he takes a servile position in relations with Russia, then on the eve of the elections it will be dangerous for him, says Natalya Shavshukova.
At the end of the first quarter of 2026, Kazakhstan increased its foreign trade turnover, which reached $32.9 billion. Thus, compared to the same period last year, it increased by 10.5%. These are official data from the Ministry of Trade and Integration of the Republic of Kazakhstan. Kazakhstan's main trading partners are China and Russia. What is the basis for cooperation between Moscow and Astana, says political scientist Dimash Alzhanov :
Unlike many post-Soviet countries, Kazakhstan remains an authoritarian state, and its leadership has close personal ties with Russian leaders
- Unlike many post-Soviet countries, Kazakhstan remains an authoritarian state, and its leadership has close personal ties with the leaders of Russia. Therefore, Astana’s foreign policy vector remains within those countries that the Kremlin considers friendly. There are no serious political changes in Kazakhstan that could contrast with what is happening in Russia. He will not break the structure and sphere of influence that they are trying to create through the CSTO and the EU. And in this vein there are no serious contradictions. Of course, there are disputes and risks associated with Russia's use of the gas transportation system to blackmail Europe for energy. But in general, the leadership of Kazakhstan and Russia are in complete mutual understanding. This includes security issues. Kazakhstan is a large country with a fairly small population. Accordingly, this is also an important factor.
The political elites of both countries have common views; Kazakhstan and Russia are similar in this regard. These are regimes with high levels of corruption, with institutions that siphon resources away from their countries. Therefore, there is a general understanding of how the economy is run, how relationships are established, and what kind of economic cooperation agreements there may be. There is no reason to view Kazakhstan solely through the prism of Ukraine, Armenia or Moldova. We have never had a political goal to get closer to Europe or other countries. Both geography and common political views dictate their logic. This puts Kazakhstan in a vulnerable position. The modern history of Kazakhstan is the history of an authoritarian state that heavily exploits oil rents. And so far, unfortunately, Kazakhstan has not emerged from this development trajectory,” says Dimash Alzhanov.
Natalya Shavshukova discusses what the presidents of Russia and Kazakhstan have in common, and what their cooperation and mutual understanding are based on:
I think Putin appreciates Tokayev for such strict neutrality, for the fact that he does not allow his opponents to openly oppose Moscow
- I think that Putin appreciates Tokayev for such strict neutrality, for the fact that he does not allow his opponents to openly oppose Moscow. At the same time, we understand that this is an authoritarian regime, but in comparison with the current Russian regime it can be called soft, because the Russian regime is becoming even worse than the Belarusian one. Putin and Tokayev are undoubtedly close in one more respect - they are the leaders of such an effective autocracy. These are people who are trying to make an efficient economy without democracy and without giving the opposition a voice. Both almost succeeded, but Putin went too far and, apparently, will soon lose in this field too. And over the past 25 years, Kazakhstan has been rather such a leader for the Russian economy. Kazakhstan carried out pension reform, Kazakhstan carried out energy reform.
Kazakhstan has a very strong banking system and very strong financial technologies. In many ways, Russia can look up to this country as an example of borrowing both Eastern and Western technologies and introducing them into life. But, of course, this authoritarian character largely hinders the development of both countries. And in this regard, in terms of suppressing the opposition, in terms of opposing social changes, Putin and Tokayev are allies and exchange experiences. Kazakhstan is important for Russia for economic reasons and security issues, because they have a fairly long common border. In addition, Putin's visit to Astana is important for his international positioning. By accepting it, Tokayev demonstrates the legitimacy of this leader and says that Putin is a handshake person, and for now he should not be written off, says Natalya Shavshukova.
Read Freedom on Telegram Make Freedom a priority source on Google 
Install the Mobile application
Radio Liberty