Qasym-Jomart Toqaev, President of Kazakhstan, proposed revisiting the Istanbul agreements to resolve the conflict in Ukraine during a meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Omsk, reports Orda.kz.
President Toqaev held talks with President Putin on the sidelines of the XXII Russia-Kazakhstan Interregional Cooperation Forum. A key topic was bilateral trade and economic cooperation. Toqaev stated that trade volume between Kazakhstan and Russia reached about $28 billion in 2025, and noted that Russia has become the top investor in Kazakhstan's economy, with investments totaling nearly $30 billion.
The leaders also discussed the construction of Kazakhstan's first nuclear power plant near Lake Balkhash. Toqaev said preparatory work at the site is nearing completion and that Kazakhstan plans to train its own nuclear energy specialists with Russia's support.
On the Ukraine conflict, Toqaev described it as an interstate conflict, not a civil war, and suggested considering a return to the Istanbul formula 2.0. “Maybe this conflict should be frozen and we should go back to the Istanbul formula 2.0, because significant results were achieved there. Then, naturally, under the guarantees of great powers, including Russia, move toward long-awaited peace. Kazakhstan is not an outsider, but despite all proposals and calls, I categorically refuse to be a mediator, because I know that without mediators, he will handle all issues on the agenda himself. But I decided to express my modest opinion today, since people know I planned to be in Omsk and know about our meeting. No one knows how to get out of this situation because there are positions of the parties. But on the other hand, there is an opportunity to put all this on ice,” Toqaev said.
Putin highlighted growing economic cooperation, noting that trade increased by over 4% in the first five months of 2026. He also reported 70 joint projects involving Russian businesses in Kazakhstan worth about $30 billion.
The sides also discussed cooperation in energy, transport, agriculture, space, and humanitarian fields. Putin specifically mentioned the opening of a branch of Kazakh National University in Omsk and the development of educational ties.