Quote:
Originally Posted by afc wimbledon
So Kazakhstan, one of Russia/Putin's closest allies has both denied Russia's request for troops to help with invasion but also refused to recognise the two breakaway states Putin is in theory protecting
This is really starting to unravel for Putin
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Huh. Why is Russia even asking Kazakhstan for troops?
Including Belarusian troops in the attack was a very different matter, as that was just as much about furthering the goal of full integration of Belarus into Russia, AND Belarusian troops are literally right there near the border, and they were presumably prepared to participate.
But why would they be asking Kazakhstan for troops? It's not like Kazakhstan could even move those troops to the front very quickly (so Russians not expecting a quick victory?), and Kazakhstan is still recovering from a borderline revolution just a month ago, so of course they wouldn't be eager to send any troops out of the country right now. Why even ask? For the symbolic value? But again, given Kazakhstans recent history, it seems really unlikely for them to agree. Kazakhstan has huge problems of it's own, many of which are economical, they are absolutely not in a position to get dragged into an international conflict. (Also, the January unrest in Kazakhstan was sparked by gas prices. Can't imagine them being very happy about Putin making things worse on that front.)
This is a weird story, one that would be nice to get confirmation on from non-Western sources, which I'm so far unable to find. Which isn't THAT surprising in itself, as Tokayev wouldn't want to embarrass Putin publicly.
But if true, it's a sign that things are not just "not going as well as hoped", it's a sign of actual desperation from Putin.