US Secretary of State Anthony Blinken has expressed doubts about whether it was necessary for Kazakhstan to request the deployment of Russian forces on its territory to deal with the unrest, and warned that it would be “very difficult” to withdraw in the future.
“One lesson from recent history is that once the Russians are in your home, it is sometimes very difficult to get them to leave,” he told a news conference in Washington.
In Kazakhstan, the largest country in Central Asia, riots broke out last Sunday, due to rising fuel prices. The riots spread to major cities, most notably Almaty, the financial capital, where they turned into violent anti-government protests. Dozens of people were killed.
Russia has sent troops to support the government at the request of President Kassim-Zomart Tokayev.
“It seems to me that the authorities and the government of Kazakhstan are undoubtedly in a position to properly manage the protests and restore order, respecting the rights of the protesters. “So I do not understand exactly why they needed outside help.”
On Thursday, the State Department warned Russian forces not to violate human rights or show a willingness to take control of the country’s institutions.
Follow Skai.gr on Google News
and be the first to know all the news
.
