Kazakh President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev held a series of phone calls last week with the leaders of Russia, Ukraine and Azerbaijan, as media reports circulated about upcoming high-level talks on resolving the war in Ukraine and following the signing of a peace declaration between Azerbaijan and Armenia in Washington.
Kazakhstan-Russia
On Aug. 7, Tokayev spoke with Russian President Vladimir Putin.
The Kremlin said Putin initiated the call «in the spirit of the allied relationship and strategic partnership Russia and Kazakhstan maintain» to brief Tokayev on the progress of Russia’s dialogue with the U.S. over the Ukraine conflict. Putin also outlined the key outcomes of his recent meeting with U.S. President’s Special Envoy Steven Witkoff.
The leaders reviewed the schedule of upcoming high-level meetings in both bilateral and multilateral formats.
On Aug. 6, Witkoff arrived in Moscow for the fifth time and met with Putin for about three hours. Previous reports said a meeting between U.S. President Donald Trump and Putin was planned for this week.
Kazakhstan-Ukraine
On Aug. 10, at Ukraine’s initiative, Tokayev held a phone call with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, according to the Akorda press service.
The leaders discussed prospects for resolving the conflict in Ukraine. Tokayev said that, given the highly complex circumstances, it is essential to pursue a balanced, reasonable approach that preserves and protects Ukraine’s statehood. He stressed that all parties should heed the wisdom that «a bad peace is better than a good war.»
The Kazakh president noted that territorial disputes are among the most difficult issues in international relations and often block the conclusion of peace agreements or even temporary truces. He said the priority now should be preserving Ukraine’s statehood, supported by strong international security guarantees.
Kazakhstan-Azerbaijan
Later the same day, Tokayev spoke with Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev.
He congratulated Aliyev on signing a U.S.-brokered joint declaration for peace between Azerbaijan and Armenia, facilitated by President Trump. He said the document aligns with international law and U.N. resolutions.
Notably, Point 5 of the declaration states that Armenia and Azerbaijan «acknowledge the need to chart a course for a bright future not bound by the conflict of the past,» consistent with the U.N. Charter and the 1991 Almaty Declaration, which was signed by 11 former Soviet republics, including Armenia and Azerbaijan.
Tokayev stated that the agreement serves the strategic interests of both countries and will help strengthen international cooperation in the Caucasus. He emphasized that Kazakhstan, as a strategic partner of Azerbaijan, welcomes peace in the region.
Tokayev also reaffirmed Astana’s readiness to continue offering its platform for negotiations. The leaders agreed to maintain contact at the highest level.
