This episode of America Uncovered looks at the sudden protests that shook Kazakhstan in early 2022 and at Vladimir Putin’s decisive response. What began as anger over a sharp rise in fuel prices quickly widened into a broader revolt against corruption, inequality and the long rule of former leader Nursultan Nazarbayev. When the unrest spread and turned violent, Kazakhstan’s president, Kassym-Jomart Tokayev, asked for help, and Putin sent Russian-led troops in to restore order.
The video asks what Putin’s real interest in Kazakhstan was, and what his intervention revealed about Russia’s role in its former Soviet neighbours. Kazakhstan is rich in resources and strategically important, and Moscow has long treated the region as part of its sphere of influence. The programme also considers what the crackdown might mean for Ukraine, then already facing a Russian military build-up, and whether force in Kazakhstan signalled a wider willingness by Putin to use troops to keep friendly governments in power.
Russian President Vladimir Putin sent in troops after Kazakhstan president Kassym-Jomart Tokayev asked for help quelling protests. The protests began over anger at increased fuel prices, but grew to include discontent over corruption. In this episode of America Uncovered, we look at why people are protesting former Kazakhstan leader Nursultan Nazarbayev, what Putin’s interest in Kazakhstan is, and what Putin’s involvement in Kazakhstan could mean for Ukraine.