French President Emmanuel Macron, right, visiting Astana, Kazakhstan, on Wednesday for talks with President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev.
Photo: Press Service of the President of Kazakhstan/ReutersWhen domestic turmoil engulfed Kazakhstan in January last year, Russian airborne troops quickly swooped in to help restore order.
Moscow’s sway in much of the former Soviet Union—areas that Russians refer to as “near-abroad”—seemed to be at its peak.
The invasion of Ukraine, launched the following month, bared the stark limits of Russian power in what Moscow considered its own backyard.
Spooked by the bloodshed in Ukraine and by the international sanctions imposed on Russia, its neighbors and allies now are busy diversifying their relationships, hedging against Moscow by deepening ties with China and the West.
Persons:
Emmanuel Macron, Kassym, Tokayev, ” —
Organizations:
Press Service, Reuters, Soviet
Locations:
Astana, Kazakhstan, Russian, Soviet Union, Ukraine, Moscow, Russia, China