Tokayev Urges Putin to Freeze War in 3-Minute Rebuke, Rejects Mediation
Updated
Updated · The Daily Beast · Jul 25
Tokayev Urges Putin to Freeze War in 3-Minute Rebuke, Rejects Mediation
3 articles · Updated · The Daily Beast · Jul 25
Summary
Omsk talks turned tense when Kassym-Jomart Tokayev used a televised meeting with Vladimir Putin to urge a freeze in the Ukraine war and a return to negotiations.
The Kazakh president said Europe and the United States had sent him signals about the conflict, called its nature unclear, and said Kazakhstan categorically refused to mediate because Russia could manage on its own.
Putin, 73, appeared visibly uncomfortable on camera, thanked Tokayev after the remarks and said he would give a detailed briefing before the broadcast abruptly ended.
The clash came a day after Putin made his first domestic regional trip in more than 8 months, visiting an Irkutsk aircraft plant under heavy security as drone attacks and economic strains keep him largely out of public view.