Russian President Vladimir Putin has stated this Monday that Russia will not allow “revolutions” in the region and that the Pacifiers of the Collective Safety Treaty (OTSC) that are deployed in Kazakhstan will be completely withdrawn when its mission concludes.
Led by Russia, about 2,030 OTSC military were deployed in Kazakhstan by President Tokayev’s request.
Kazakhstan was white of “international terrorism,” Putin said during a telematic summit of the leaders of the Postsoviet Military Alliance.
At the same time, the Kazakh president said that the bloody disturbances that shook the country were an “coup attempt” by “armed combatants” “, and affirmed that his forces” never “would shoot against peaceful protesters.
“Groups of armed combatants who expected their moment came into action. Its main objective appeared clearly (…) It was a state coup attempt,” said Kassym Jomart Tokayev during a meeting by videoconference with his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin
and other Heads of State Allied.
Tokayev indicated that the military mission led by Moscow in the country will end “soon” to help the Kazakh Government to curb the riots that have affected the largest country from Central Asia from 2 January, and that caused 164 deaths and some
2,000 injured, according to the authorities.
About 8,000 people were arrested throughout this week of riots in Kazakhstan, the government reported Monday.
“As of January 10, 7,939 individuals were arrested” by security forces throughout the country, the Ministry of the Interior indicated in a statement published on the government’s website.
The National Security Committee said in a statement that the country, including government and military facilities, are fully under the control of security services.
“Areas where militants and amotinates could be hidden are being clear. It is collecting and recording evidence of criminal activity,” added the statement.
Meanwhile, the United States and Russia began today in the North American Permanent Mission in Geneva a new round of the bilateral strategic dialogue mechanism, created in 2021 and that on this occasion will focus mainly on the crisis of Ukraine.
In statements to the Financial newspaper Times, NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg recalled that Russia “has an alternative: cooperate, work with NATO.”
“It is possible to find a road together, a political form of moving forward and also approaching Russia’s concerns, but there is still the risk of conflict,” Stoltenberg said in an interview.
“NATO’s dissuasion is credible and strong, we have to wait and work hard for the best, but be prepared for the worst.”
The high-level meeting in Geneva marks the beginning of a diplomatic marathon that will last the whole week, during which Russia will meet with NATO and also with the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE).
Washington warned of the risk of confrontation while Russia ruled out making concessions.
Tensions are increasing since Russia began to bet tens of thousands of troops on the border with Ukraine, in exchange for guarantees that NATO will not continue to expand to its borders.
