Kazakhstan’s Crisis and Russia’s Agenda

Has civil unrest in Kazakhstan opened the door for another vector of Russian expansion in the former Soviet space? That is the question on the minds of many Kremlin-watchers after widespread protests were followed by an intervention by Russian troops at the request of Kazakh President Qasym-Zhomart Toqaev.

The Kazakh uprising was sparked by a rise in fuel prices, but many observers say its root cause is a power struggle between the current president, Toqaev, and his predecessor, Nursultan Nazerbayev. 

But coming in the wake of another popular uprising in Belarus in 2020-21 that the Kremlin used to expand its footprint there, and with Russian troops massing on the Ukrainian border, imperial restoration is very much on the minds of Russian officials.

The Soviet Union was born 100 years ago this coming December and it collapsed 30 years ago last December. So is 2022 the year Vladimir Putin moves decisively to put it back together again? On the Power Vertical Podcast this week, host Brian Whitmore speaks with Merhat Sharipzhan, a Senior Correspondent at Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty and the former director of RFE/RL’s Kazakh Service, and veteran journalist and author Casey Michel. Enjoy…

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