Political Analyst Suggests Lukashenka Might Be Unacceptable Figure For Tokayev

Relations between Belarus and Kazakhstan have been tense.

During a meeting at the CSTO summit in Minsk, President of Kazakhstan Kassym-Jomart Tokayev spoke quite sharply about Lukashenka’s words regarding the belligerent and attacking West. Does this mean that Kazakhstan is also ready to leave this structure? The LRT website asked political scientist Dzmitry Balkunets this question:

“It is difficult to predict what position Kazakhstan will take in this situation. Because Kazakhstan occupies a strategically important position on the Russian-Kazakh border, which is one of the longest land borders in the world, exceeding 7.5 thousand kilometers. This is important for both countries. In the context of complex international relations, each country seeks to extract maximum benefits from its membership in various organizations and structures. However, Tokayev’s rhetoric in this context is clear: he has repeatedly expressed his position since the beginning of the conflict in Ukraine.

In addition, we observe that relations between Belarus and Kazakhstan have become tense. Back in 2021, Lukashenka’s visit to Kazakhstan was planned, but his reception did not take place. This indicates that there are problems in their relationship, which may influence their actions in international matters.

Tokayev, being a sophisticated diplomat with extensive experience working in international organizations and different countries, may be using this approach to maneuver. Perhaps, for him, Lukashenka is an unacceptable figure with whom there is no point in holding negotiations or discussions. This also probably affects Kazakhstan’s decisions not to meet with Lukashenka, or to make some very harsh statements against him.”