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Away from politics and its considerations, the pulse of the communication sites and the street in Ukraine shows public rejoicing over the protests of Kazakhstan, and sees that today it is joining the side of Ukraine and other countries of the former Soviet Union, on the path to liberation and overthrowing the regimes of oppression and tyranny, and leaving the pro-Russia camp.
Kiev- Between anticipation and joy, Ukrainian circles are interacting with the protests in Kazakhstan, especially since the events taking place there – according to many – cast a shadow over Ukraine’s current crisis with Russia, and may bear a number of repercussions for it.
The authorities in Kiev speak of “condemning the violence” and of the interests of Ukrainian “nationals”, stressing the need for the Russian “peacekeepers” to respect the independence of Kazakhstan and international law, and “not to have a long presence in that country.”
But the official statements in the Ukrainian capital do not seem to be in a hurry to join the ranks of countries and governments that have openly expressed support for the protesters in Kazakhstan, or their aspirations.
However, some Ukrainian officials came out with remarkable statements and insinuations, implicitly mocking the regime in Kazakhstan, most notably what was issued by the advisor in the Ukrainian Presidential Office, Oleksiy Aristovich.
In a Facebook post, Aristovich commented on the Kazakh authorities’ accusation of terrorism to the protesters, and sarcastically predicted that the Islamic State would soon enter the scene, to demand lower gas prices (which the Kazakhs demand).
Clear the image before sacrificing relationships
With this “deliberate” stance, so to speak, Ukraine is violating a policy that it has implemented in other countries for years, and through which it adopts the positions of Western European countries, with which it is getting closer.
Perhaps the last of these positions was in Belarus, when Kiev refused to recognize the victory of Alexander Lukashenko as a legitimate president after the August 2020 elections, and then supported the protests against his regime, which was a cause for great and continuous tension with Minsk.
Here, an opinion emerges that Ukraine is not ready today to repeat this situation, and sacrifice its relations with Kazakhstan before the image becomes clear in it, especially since Kiev has good relations with the capital, Astana (Nur-Sultan).
In an interview with Al Jazeera Net, the director of the Center for “Political Analysis”, Ihor Kohut, says that Ukraine cannot give priority to feelings of support for freedoms and rights over interests; Kazakhstan is a friendly country, which refused the occupation of Crimea, and adhered to positive positions on the crisis with Russia, and Ukraine has important economic relations with it.
Indeed, Ukrainian Energy Minister Herman Halushenko has announced that coal supplies from Kazakhstan will be halted, despite the “heating season” contracts concluded between the two countries.
Kazakhstan for the facade instead of Ukraine
The suspension of coal supplies – it seems – came as a prelude to tension, which the two sides certainly did not want in the recent past, and perhaps it falls within the framework of many analyzes linking the Kazakhstan protests to the tensions around Ukraine.
Kohut believes that the protests in Kazakhstan surprised everyone in terms of their scale and timing, “and this is why they appear to some as an artificiality based on the principle of “this with that”, to put pressure on Russia through its closest and largest ally, and reduce the hardening of its positions on Ukraine.”
He added, “Whether this theory is correct or not, it is certainly a shock to Moscow and has strengthened the position of Washington and NATO in the negotiations of the Ukrainian crisis with it, and this – in the end – is something that appears positive for Kiev.”
But the political analyst expressed his fears of a counterproductive result, “The bet may be misplaced. I fear that Russia will resort to a retaliatory method, in which force is used faster than expected in Kazakhstan and Ukraine together, and this is not excluded from the Russian mentality,” he said. .
Cheer up on the Ukrainian street
Away from politics and its considerations, the pulse of the communication sites and the street in Ukraine shows public rejoicing over the protests of Kazakhstan, and sees that it is joining Ukraine and other countries of the former Soviet Union today, on the path to liberation and overthrowing the regimes of oppression and tyranny, and leaving the pro-Russia camp.
On Sunday, the capital, Kiev, witnessed the “Say No to Putin” campaign, during which the participants denounced the policies of the Russian president towards their country, and some of their slogans, chants and flags expressed explicit and strong support for the protesters in Kazakhstan.
Amid whistling and warm applause, the Kazakh flag roamed the atmosphere of the city center, in a symbolic sign of support, expressed by one of the organizers by saying, “Today, the Kazakhs are saying their word, repeating what happened in Ukraine on the path to real independence, and bringing its nightmare back into the minds of the authoritarians in the Kremlin.”
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