In fact, Kazakh President Tokayev is an ally of the Kremlin. However, Tokayev now welcomes Russians fleeing partial mobilization to his country. He also addressed sharp words to Moscow.
Kazakh President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev has pledged protection to Russians fleeing partial Russian mobilization to Kazakhstan. “In the past few days, many people have come to us from Russia. Most of them are forced to leave because of the hopeless situation,” Tokayev explained. “We have to take care of them, ensure their safety.” It is a “political and humanitarian issue,” he said.
Actually a Moscow ally, the Kazakh leader has distanced himself from Moscow since the Russian offensive in Ukraine. Tokayev again condemned the conflict. “The territorial integrity of a state must be inalienable, that is a key principle,” he said. “A large-scale war is taking place in our immediate vicinity. We have to remember this and, above all, think about our security,” Tokayev continued.
Russian President Vladimir Putin announced the partial mobilization of several hundred thousand reservists for the conflict in Ukraine last week. This had sparked protests and a rush of Russian men to the borders. Citing figures from the Kazakh Interior Ministry, the RIA Novosti news agency reported that around 98,000 Russians had entered the country since the partial mobilization was announced. Just over 64,000 left the country.
The number of arrivals in Georgia also increased significantly: After the partial mobilization, about twice as many Russians crossed the border to the neighboring country as before. “Four or five days ago, 5,000 to 6,000 Russians arrived in Georgia every day,” Georgian Interior Minister Vakhtang Gomelauri said in Tbilisi. In the meantime, this number has grown to “10,000 per day”.
