Putin declared victory in Kazakhstan

 

 Russian President Vladimir Putin on Monday declared victory in defending Kazakhstan from what he described as a foreign-backed terrorist uprising, and promised leaders of other former Soviet republics that Moscow's Moscow-led Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO) would also protected them, reports Reuters.

Almaty, Kazakhstan's largest city, almost returned to normal on Monday after nearly a week of unrest, the most serious riots in the 30-year independent history of what is considered the most stable former Soviet state in Central Asia.

 Utilities are clearing debris from streets still littered with burned cars. Most shops have reopened, public transport and traffic have returned to normal, and the internet has been switched on again for several hours in the city, for the first time since last Wednesday.

The square next to the town hall, set on fire during the uprising, was surrounded by security forces and closed to the public. Police are searching cars at checkpoints.

 Putin sent paratroopers last week to defend strategic facilities after anti-government protesters seized and set fire to public buildings. Dozens of people are believed to have been killed in clashes between security forces and protesters in cities across the country.

The rapid deployment of the Russian military demonstrates the Kremlin's readiness to use force to defend its influence in the countries of the former Soviet Union, at a time when Moscow is in conflict with the West over thousands of troops gathered near Ukraine.

 Putin told a virtual summit of the former Soviet CSTO military union that the body had succeeded in "preventing the undermining of the state's foundations, the complete deterioration of the internal situation in Kazakhstan and blocking terrorists, criminals, robbers and other criminal elements." .

"Of course, we understand that the events in Kazakhstan are not the first and far from the last attempt to interfere in the internal affairs of our countries from outside," he said. "The measures taken by the CSTO have clearly shown that we will not allow the situation to be shaken at home."

Kazakh President Kasim-Jomart Tokayev said at the summit that his country had experienced an "attempted coup".

 "Under the guise of spontaneous protests, a wave of riots erupted," he said. "It has become clear that the main goal is to undermine the constitutional order and seize power.

Both Russia and Kazakhstan described the unrest as a foreign-backed riot, although they did not say who they blamed for organizing it.

Russia has long accused the West of fomenting so-called "color revolutions" - uprisings that toppled governments such as Georgia, Ukraine, Kyrgyzstan and Armenia - and has emphasized its own role in helping to quell them. She supported the Belarusian leader during the 2020 protests.