Kazakh President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev has suggested that the time may have come to freeze the Russia-Ukraine conflict and return to the Istanbul negotiation format.
Tokayev made the remarks during a meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Omsk on July 25, ahead of the 22nd Russia-Kazakhstan Interregional Cooperation Forum.
Tokayev said he had been receiving numerous signals from Europe and the United States regarding the current situation between Russia and Ukraine.
"You know, in my view, as I have said from the very beginning, this is an interstate conflict. It is not a civil war in Crimea or anywhere else. We have always treated the Ukrainian people, their culture, and their language with respect, and we believe that the nature of this conflict is not entirely clear to many people, including ourselves," the Kazakh president said.
He noted that while the origins and nature of the long-running Armenia-Azerbaijan conflict had been clear due to their deep historical roots, understanding the causes of the Russia-Ukraine conflict was much more difficult.
Tokayev also praised Putin for demonstrating "maximum diplomatic flexibility" during the meeting in Anchorage, Alaska.
"This is simply my humble opinion. Perhaps the time has come to freeze this conflict and return to the Istanbul Formula 2.0, as significant results had already been achieved there. Then, naturally, under the guarantees of the major powers, including Russia, it would be possible to move the process forward," Tokayev added.
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