Kazakhstan's president urges Putin to freeze Ukraine war

In late July 2026, Kazakhstan's President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev publicly urged Russian President Vladimir Putin to freeze the war in Ukraine and return to negotiations. Speaking alongside Putin, Tokayev called for a halt to the fighting and proposed reviving the so-called "Istanbul Formula 2.0" peace framework.

The Kremlin responded by calling the proposal "impossible." Tokayev's appeal marks the first known instance of a Kazakh leader making such a direct request to Putin since the war began.