Kazakh president again calls on Putin to freeze war in Ukraine after talks in Germany

What Happened

Kazakh President Qasym-Jomart Toqayev, at a press conference with German Chancellor Friedrich Merz in Berlin, again called on Russian President Vladimir Putin to 'freeze' the war in Ukraine and move toward diplomacy and negotiations, as reported by Russian TV channel Dozhd. Toqayev said: 'We insist that every country should preserve its territorial integrity... I was not talking about the war ending as quickly as possible... I was talking about freezing hostilities and then moving towards diplomacy and negotiations.' This follows a July meeting in Omsk, where Toqayev told Putin he did not understand the reason for Russia's aggression against Ukraine and said the conflict should be frozen based on the Istanbul agreements.

Key Actors

Why It Matters

Toqayev's repeated public call for a freeze signals Kazakhstan's unease with the war and its attempt to balance relations between Russia and Western partners. By invoking the Istanbul agreements and territorial integrity, Toqayev is positioning Kazakhstan as a mediator-adjacent voice from within Russia's traditional sphere of influence, increasing diplomatic pressure on Moscow while meeting German Chancellor Friedrich Merz in Berlin.

Watch For

Watch for any Kremlin response to Toqayev's renewed call, whether Kazakhstan moves toward formal peace-framework proposals with European partners, and any shift in the Istanbul agreements' status in Russian or Ukrainian statements. Also monitor for further meetings between Toqayev and Merz or other NATO leaders that could signal expanded Kazakh-Western coordination.