Kazakh President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev proposed freezing the conflict and returning to the "Istanbul Formula 2.0," prompting reactions from both the Kremlin and Ukraine's Foreign Ministry, reports infohub.kz.
Tokayev voiced his position during a meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin at the Kazakhstan-Russia Interregional Cooperation Forum in Omsk. "You know, from the very beginning I said this is an inter-state conflict. It is not about any civil war. We have always respected the Ukrainian people, their culture, and language. And we believe that the nature of this conflict is not fully understood by many, including us. I know you showed maximum diplomatic flexibility during the meeting in Anchorage, Alaska. And just my humble opinion, since I am being asked: perhaps it is time to freeze this conflict and return to the Istanbul Formula 2.0, as significant progress was achieved there. Then, under guarantees from major powers, including Russia, we can move toward a long-awaited peace," Kassym-Jomart Tokayev said.
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said Tokayev's remarks were not unexpected. "Tokayev has spoken on the Ukraine issue many times. He has a consistent position. That does not mean we agree. But Kazakhstan is our closest partner, our closest ally," he stressed. Peskov added that Russia will continue to explain its position on the conflict.
Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andriy Sybiga thanked the Kazakh president for his call to stop the war in Ukraine, calling it a "realistic, timely, and wise signal." "We appreciate President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev's appeals to Putin that it is time to stop the war. A realistic, timely, and wise address. Ukraine has proposed to cease hostilities along the current line of contact and move to diplomatic resolution, but the Kremlin continues to reject this obvious path to peace," he wrote on social media.