Almaty, Kazakhstan: More than 2,000 Russian-led troops began to withdraw from Kazakhstan, Moscow said Thursday, after being deployed when peaceful protests over the increase in energy prices turned out to dozens of unprecedented LIVes.
The decision to send peace officers is the first for the organization of the Collective Security Agreement led by Moscow (CSTO), often mentioned by Russia as equivalent to NATO but previously reluctant to disrupt riots in Central Asia – the region with a long historical bond to Russia.
The Russian Ministry of Defense said “Collective peacekeeping forces …
began preparing equipment and material to load into the field of military transportation flights from Russian aerospace and return to permanent spread points.” President Kasym-Jomart Tokayev frame the clashes as a coup attempt assisted by local and international terrorists.
Russian colleague Vladimir Putin hinted that the violence was reminiscent of the “color revolution” which was exhausted by interfering with foreigners.
Tokayev said the withdrawal of a phase of foreign forces would take no more than 10 days.
Concerns have increased that Moscow can use the mission to sustain its influence in Kazakhstan.
US Secretary Antony Blinken previously warned that “so Russia is in your home, sometimes it is very difficult to make them go”.
While the authorities have described violence as a “terrorist” work of foreigners, it erupted behind peaceful demonstrations during the increase in fuel prices and against the background of living and endemic living and corruption.