Tokayev in Berlin calls Putin 'outstanding statesman,' backs Ukraine war freeze

September 29, 2026 at 10:25 PM2 min

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Kazakh President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev, speaking at a briefing in Berlin, said he considers Russian President Vladimir Putin an outstanding statesman and reiterated his proposal to freeze military actions in Ukraine. He said both Russia and Ukraine are good friends of Kazakhstan and that he is grateful Putin understood his personal position. Tokayev stressed Kazakhstan will adhere to the UN Charter and respect the territorial integrity of all states.

Key Facts

Tokayev said he is grateful to Putin for understanding his personal position on freezing military actions in Ukraine.
Tokayev called Putin an outstanding statesman and the most acceptable political figure for Central Asia, Europe, and the world.
Kazakhstan and Russia share a 7,597-kilometer border, the longest in the world, and 2.7 million ethnic Russians live in Kazakhstan.
Tokayev said Kazakhstan insists on respect for the territorial integrity of all states and will adhere to the UN Charter.

Putin Praise

Tokayev described Putin as an outstanding statesman and the most acceptable political figure for Central Asia, including Kazakhstan, for Europe, and for the whole world. He said he knows Putin very well and that Putin possesses the necessary qualities to lead a large country with a complex history. Tokayev expressed gratitude to Putin for understanding his personal position on the Ukraine war freeze proposal.

War Freeze Proposal

Tokayev reiterated that Kazakhstan proposes freezing military actions in Ukraine to move to diplomatic or any other negotiations. He said he did not call for an immediate stop to the war, acknowledging that would be unrealistic under current conditions. Tokayev stressed that Kazakhstan will always remember that both Russia and Ukraine are good friends of Kazakhstan.

Kazakhstan-Russia Ties

Tokayev noted that Kazakhstan and Russia share a 7,597-kilometer border, the longest in the world. He said 2.7 million ethnic Russians live in Kazakhstan and the Orthodox Church is widely represented and respected. Tokayev said Kazakhstan needs peace and stability to be a successful country and is achieving significant development progress.