Kazakhstan President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev has revealed that both Russia and Ukraine have expressed their willingness to engage in negotiations. However, the specific format and conditions for these talks have yet to be determined.
During a joint meeting, President Tokayev stated, “Today, we discussed with Chancellor Scholz that the situation is very serious. The Russian and Ukrainian parties said that they are ready for negotiations. However, it is not yet clear on which platform and at what level this will happen.” He made these remarks at a press conference with German Chancellor Olaf Scholz in Berlin.
President Tokayev emphasized the importance of “smart diplomacy” at this critical juncture and stressed the need for peaceful negotiations that yield mutually beneficial results. He expressed his commitment to taking all possible steps to facilitate these discussions. Additionally, he underscored Kazakhstan’s support for peace initiatives put forth by various countries aimed at resolving the conflict in Ukraine.
The press conference between President Tokayev and Chancellor Scholz was made available on the German government’s official website.
As a backdrop to these developments, it’s worth noting that Russia initiated a special military operation against Ukraine on February 24, 2022, with President Vladimir Putin citing the objective as “the protection of people who have been subjected to eight years of harassment and genocide by the Kiev regime.” He portrayed the special operation as a necessary measure, given Russia’s assessment that it had no alternative option, as alternative approaches would have resulted in security risks that precluded other responses.
