Kazakh President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev makes a rare public push for peace, urging Russian President Vladimir Putin to freeze the war in Ukraine and return to a modified version of the 2022 Istanbul talks. Both outlets report that Tokayev raises the proposal during a Kazakhstan–Russia interregional cooperation forum held in Omsk on July 25, framing the call as part of Kazakhstan’s diplomatic outreach to one of Moscow’s closest partners.
Tokayev’s remarks include a suggestion to use an updated “Istanbul 2.0” negotiation track. He also compares the conflict to long-standing regional tensions elsewhere, saying the war must be stopped rather than allowed to continue. One report adds that Tokayev argues the continuation of the war benefits Russia’s adversaries.
According to the Kyiv Post, Tokayev references a future meeting in Anchorage in August 2025 between Putin and U.S. President Donald Trump, describing Putin’s “political flexibility.” Bloomberg similarly describes Tokayev’s intervention as an unusual public nudge toward freezing hostilities and resuming talks in a revamped framework.
