As Russians fearing conscription fled to the country’s borders Kazakh president Kassym-Jomart Tokayev welcomed more than 200,000 of them, sympathising with their “hopeless” plight.
“We must take care of them and ensure their safety. This is a political and humanitarian issue,” said Tokayev late last month after President Vladimir Putin’s mobilisation bill sparked the exodus.
The warm reception for the Russians was a signal of a new reality for Moscow: across Central Asia and the Caucasus, countries are seeking to distance themselves from its full-scale invasion of Ukraine.
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