Does the Kazakh crisis provide Russia a chance to restore power?
Al JazeeraRare and increasingly violent protests in the former Soviet nation are being watched closely at the Kremlin and across Central Asia. “For some, it’s a popular revolt, and for some – an excellent chance to restore the USSR at the expense of frightened dictators who betray their country to save their skin and what’s left of their power,” Nikolay Mitrokhin, an expert on the region and researcher at Germany’s Bremen University, told Al Jazeera. Even in neighbouring Kyrgyzstan, the region’s youngest president, 53-year-old Sadyr Japarov was a member of the Young Communist movement and said he dreamed of “becoming someone like” one of the longest-serving Soviet leaders, Leonid Brezhnev. Even though Moscow’s own hardline tendencies culminated in last year’s “nullification” of Putin’s presidential terms that allows him to stay in power until 2036, the Kremlin did not specifically cultivate the Central Asian strongmen. This presence has manifested in military bases in Tajikistan and Kyrgyzstan, a Soviet-era cosmodrome in Kazakhstan, a navy flotilla in the oil-rich Caspian Sea and Moscow’s role in the peace process in Afghanistan that borders three of the five ex-Soviet “stans,” Luzin said.
History of this topic
Is There a New Kazakhstan?
The Diplomat
‘We are angry, not terrorists’: Kazakhs deny government claims as crackdown grows
The Independent
Do Kazakhstan’s protests signal an end to the Nazarbayev era?
Al Jazeera
Can centuries-old clan rivalry explain the crisis in Kazakhstan?
Al Jazeera
Kazakh leader declares ‘coup d’etat’ over as Putin claims victory
Al Jazeera
Understanding the Protests in Kazakhstan & Why Russia is Intervening Militarily
The Quint
What will Russia gain from intervening in Kazakhstan?
Al Jazeera
There's chaos in Kazakhstan. Here's what you need to know
NPR
Kazakhstan detains former head of national security as Putin and Kazakh president discuss restoring ‘order’
CNN
Kazakhstan protests explained: What’s behind the violent unrest in Almaty and why is it happening
The Independent
As Kazakhstan protests turn deadly, president ditches diplomacy for tough talk
The Independent
Analysis: Kazakhstan’s uprising was a long time coming, and it’s an unwelcome distraction for Vladimir Putin
CNN
Kazakhstan President Sacks Cabinet, Vows 'Tough' Response to Mass Protests
News 18
Kazakhstan is in turmoil after massive protests force the government to resign
NPR
Kazakhstan on the Edge
The Diplomat
Kazakh President Nursultan Nazarbayev steps down – or did he?
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