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Tengrinews.kz – President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev responded to a question about Kazakhstan’s potential role as a mediator between Russia and Ukraine, following a statement by Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky.
During the interview, a Tengrinews.kz correspondent asked whether Kazakhstan would be willing to host a meeting between the leaders of Ukraine and Russia in Astana, and whether such negotiations were underway.
"Kazakhstan is not a mediator in the military conflict between Russia and Ukraine, nor does it see itself as one," Tokayev said.
"In my view, both sides are capable of conducting dialogue on all contentious issues bilaterally and at various levels. I have always believed and publicly stated that the 'Ukrainian crisis' is extremely complex and cannot be oversimplified."
The President highlighted that as the conflict continues, numerous issues are layered on top of each other, including territorial, historical, national, linguistic, and, of course, political matters.
"Yes, the territorial issue is the most critical and difficult right now, but a practical solution at the negotiation table does not seem possible due to the associated discussions on historical topics (Kyivan Rus, 'territorial gifts,' Ukrainian statehood, etc.), where a wide range of opinions exists, including some unconventional and even exotic ones. Nevertheless, negotiations must continue, as I mentioned in my speech at the UN," he added.
Tokayev emphasized that if the leaders of Russia and Ukraine were willing to come to Kazakhstan, the country would provide all the necessary support to ensure a successful negotiation.
However, he made a key point:
"Meetings at the highest level must be carefully prepared at the expert level by diplomats and other services. This is a basic principle. Hoping for practical results amid ongoing military action, with disagreements on all major agenda items, is, frankly, unrealistic."
"To sum up, I can firmly say that we support the start of direct high-level negotiations between Ukraine and Russia, but preliminary work is needed to achieve mutual understanding. While Kazakhstan is not a mediator, we are ready to offer 'good offices' as a location for negotiations and meetings at all levels if the need arises," concluded the Kazakh president.
Earlier, Tokayev and Zelensky met in New York during the 80th session of the UN General Assembly, where the Ukrainian leader outlined his position on the ongoing conflict. Tokayev emphasized that in this extremely complex situation, diplomatic efforts must continue to find ways to end the conflict.
Later, in an interview with Fox News, Zelensky expressed his willingness to meet with the Russian president in Kazakhstan.
