The Novaya Gazeta Editor, Noble Prizewinner and a famous Russian journalist, Mr. Dmitry Muratov accidentally witnessed a brief conversation between the Republic of Kazakhstan and Russian Federation Presidents, Messrs. Kassym-Jomart Tokayev and Vladimir Putin, respectively. The two Presidents exchanged utterances on the sidelines on the Valday Forum in Russia. 

Mr. Muratov exclusively shared information about that episode with the Globalnews.kz team during the Global Media Forum 2023, which Forum was organized by Deutsche Welle in Bonn, Germany.

Globalnews.kz asked Mr. Muratov a question regarding the interviewees view on the role of Kazakhstan in the geopolitical confrontation between Russian and Ukraine. The answer was, as follows:

— I witnessed a unique conversation between President Tokayev and President Putin at the Valday Forum.  President Tokayev said that Kazakhstan did not want to possess nuclear weapons, because Kazakhstan had another factor of attractiveness – that of logistical and cultural center, a space, that be used for trade, a platform, positioned both in Europe and Asia. As for nuclear weapons, they were not a condition for success. All of a sudden, Mr. Putin, who sat next to Mr. Tokayev addressed Mr. Tokayev  personally – “Saddam Hussein would not approve that”.

President Putin was in shock about the fact, that there could exist a country willing to abandon nuclear weapons. President Putin is not going to forgive anybody for the death of Saddam Hussein, is not going to die, like Saddam Hussein and is not going to abandon advantages from holding the power in a nuclear country. That constitutes an enormous and most serious contradiction between Russia and Kazakhstan, which contradiction is visual today. One country is on the trail of strengthening, and militarization and percepts the nuclear weaponry, as an instrument to reformat the bi-polar world into the multi-polar world.  Another country wants to become a normal trade partner in various spheres. Those are the two different ways, and we are seeing that now in the post-Soviet world.

I would not say, that Tokayev and Putin are antagonistic. No. They are impelled and doomed to cooperate, because Kazakhstan shall always border on Russia, and Russia shall always border on Kazakhstan. But their approaches to statehood are different.  Who is right? I do not know. Tokayev limited his term in the office, while Putin did not go for it. We all will see who turns out right in the long historic run, if we make it till that time.

Globalnews.kz hereby express the Consulate of Deutschland in Kazakhstan and Deutsche Welle for opportunity to attend the Global Media Forum.