Kazakhstan refuses to help the aggressor country of Russia to circumvent the imposed Western sanctions.
Points of attention
- Kazakhstan rejects aiding Russia in evading Western sanctions, emphasizing the importance of not becoming entangled in secondary sanctions.
- The country does not impose sanctions against Russia but actively prevents its territory from being used to circumvent Western restrictions.
- Kazakhstan's decision is economically motivated, as its small economy cannot afford the repercussions of supporting anti-Russian sanctions.
- The refusal to assist Russia in bypassing sanctions is supported by both Moscow and Western countries, underscoring Kazakhstan's strategic neutrality.
- President Tokayev's remarks on Russia's war against Ukraine highlight the complex dynamics of Kazakhstan's international diplomacy and commitment to peace.
What is known about Kazakhstan's refusal to help Russia circumvent Western sanctions
According to the deputy head of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Kazakhstan, Roman Vasylenko, his country refused to introduce its own sanctions against Russia and does not support the sanctions of other countries, but opposes the use of its own territory to circumvent Western anti-Russian sanctions.
Kazakhstan has not imposed sanctions against Russia, and Kazakhstan has not joined the sanctions against Russia. At the same time, we do not want our territory to be used to circumvent sanctions, Vasylenko emphasized.
He noted that Kazakhstan's position is well known and supported by both Russia and Western countries.
The deputy head of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Kazakhstan also added that his country is taking all necessary measures to prevent the mechanisms of bypassing Western anti-Russian sanctions in order not to fall under secondary sanctions.
He also noted that there are "no problems" in the bilateral relations between Astana and Moscow, but there are "different issues", as the relations between the two neighboring states are "very diverse".
Deputy Prime Minister of Kazakhstan Serik Zhumangarin said that Astana does not support anti-Russian sanctions, but adheres to them "because it is beneficial from an economic point of view."
We have a small economy, naturally, we cannot withstand the pressure of sanctions, — explains Zhumangarin.
What is known about Kazakhstan's position regarding the war launched by Russia against Ukraine
German Chancellor Olaf Scholz arrived in Kazakhstan on an official visit on September 16. One of the topics of his conversation with the President of Kazakhstan, Kasim-Zhomart Tokaev, was Russia's war against Ukraine.
Commenting on the Russian Federation's war against Ukraine, Tokayev said that "Russia is invincible" and that a further war would allegedly lead to consequences for the whole world.
In his opinion, a good chance to achieve at least a truce was lost with the refusal to conclude the Istanbul Agreement.
