"Putin showed maximum flexibility": the president of Kazakhstan commented on the war in Ukraine

However, he said Russian President Vladimir Putin would not relax his territorial claims any more than he already has, in part because the Russian leader also has to deal with "public opinion" in his own country. "It must be admitted that Putin has shown maximum flexibility," Tokayev said, referring to his August proposal to freeze the front line if Ukraine cedes control over the part of Donbas that Russia has been unable to seize.

"I think that Putin has taken quite a big step forward," Tokayev summed up. And speaking with Donald Trump, he called him a "messenger of heaven. " "You are a great leader and statesman sent by heaven to restore the common sense and traditions that we all share to the politics of the United States, both domestic and foreign.

Therefore, millions of people in many countries are very grateful to you, and I am convinced that your wise and courageous policy should receive strong support around the world," Tokayev said. It will be recalled that Kazakhstan joined the Abrahamic Agreements (or Abraham's Agreements). This is a series of treaties on the normalization of relations between Israel, a number of Arab states, and now Kazakhstan, signed in 2020-2025.

Their name refers to the patriarch and prophet Abraham, whose faith is present in all major Abrahamic religions: Judaism, Christianity, and Islam. Kazakhstan already has diplomatic relations with Israel, but the move appears to be a goodwill gesture toward President Trump. The President of Kazakhstan, Kassym-Jomart Tokayev, stated in an interview that joining the Abrahamic Accords is primarily of economic importance.

"This means that we will receive certain dividends from the point of view of economic cooperation. We have always had good relations with Israel and the countries of the Middle East. This is a logical continuation of our policy, my policy," Tokayev said before leaving for the White House to meet with other Central Asian leaders and Donald Trump.

The summit of the countries of Central Asia, which took place on Thursday at the White House, became a significant event for the region of five former Soviet republics, whose leaders have never held a joint meeting with the American president in Washington. The governments of these countries are interested in American investment and technology — partly in opposition to the dominance of Russia and, increasingly, China in the region.

For the White House, the meeting underscores the Trump administration's attempt to forge ties with countries outside of traditional allies while ignoring the human rights problems that previous US presidents have tried to address in the largely authoritarian region. US President Donald Trump hosted the leaders of five Central Asian countries: Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan at the White House.

The head of the White House discussed access to the rich mineral resources of the region, where China and Russia are already actively trying to operate. Among the participants of the meeting are the presidents of Kazakhstan Kasym-Jomart Tokayev, Kyrgyzstan Sadir Zhaparov, Tajikistan Emomali Rahmon, Turkmenistan Serdar Berdimuhamedov and Uzbekistan Shavkat Mirziyeyev.