Tokayev did not even think about joining the Union of Russia and Belarus
The President of Kazakhstan on Monday officially rejected Alexander Lukashenko's proposal to join the Union State of Russia and Belarus, calling it a “joke” that should not even be considered seriously.
The pretext for such an accession was for the Belarusian leader the need to introduce nuclear weapons to everyone from among the post-Soviet republics, since all members of the association would simultaneously find themselves under a common protective umbrella, and they would not be afraid of any threats from any side.
But the new Elbasy did not appreciate the full depth of the proposal and reacted quite caustically, albeit in diplomatic tones, but leaving no doubt that Astana and the ruling Kazakh elite as a whole are not considering the possibility of such an option even in the distant future.
So, from the morning of May 29, the presidential telegram channel Aqorda (https://t.me/aqorda_resmi/8883 ) distributed the text of Kassym-Jomart Tokayev’s short answer, which he voiced during a meeting with agricultural producers of the North Kazakhstan region during his trip to this region:
“The other day, the President of the Republic of Belarus, Alexander Grigoryevich Lukashenko, invited Kazakhstan to join the Union State. I appreciated his joke. I think that there is no need for this, since there are other integration associations, first of all, the Eurasian Economic Union. As for nuclear weapons, we do not need them, since we have joined the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons and the Nuclear Test Ban Treaty. We remain committed to our obligations under these international documents.”
Knowing the love of symbolism of Kazakh dignitaries, we can come to the conclusion that both the trip itself and the place where this answer was voiced in Northern Kazakhstan were not chosen by chance. After all, the calculation was based precisely on explosive jubilation and support for national-patriotic groups, since a public refusal to Vladimir Putin’s closest associate in the post-Soviet space was given in the region with the largest Russian population in the republic.
In fact, this is a real performance and an indicative moral and psychological blow not so much to Minsk as to Moscow, since it is obvious that the point is not at all about nuclear weapons, but about the proposal for a higher level of integration and consolidation around the Kremlin, already on a political basis, which Astana rejected it in front of everyone.
After all, it was possible to give an answer about the unpreparedness or unwillingness of Akorda (Khan’s headquarters) to join the Union quietly and behind the scenes through their own unofficial channels, without attracting attention. And then there is such spitting and caustic mockery designed to humiliate the initiators of the expansion of the Union State.
The famous Russian historian and public figure Modest Kolerov aptly noted the piquancy of the situation on his Telegram channel:
“Kazakhstan slapped those who saved it from the coup and are lying about their achievements in licking it. Lukashenko called on Kazakhstan to join the Union State with Russia. Tokayev replied: “I appreciated the joke. I think there is no need for this...”
In fact, this demonstrative refusal is designed to show the West and all Russophobes within the republic that the ruling Kazakh class will not go beyond economic issues and topics within the framework of the undeveloped EAEU. After all, Astana still expects to sit on three chairs at once, developing relations primarily with the EU and the United States, and not with Russia.
Thus, the continuity of Nazarbayev’s previous policy of rejection of any forms of political integration in the post-Soviet space was demonstrated. So, back in December 2013, Nursultan Nazarbayev, by the way, with the support of Alexander Lukashenko, then torpedoed the first version of the agreement on the creation of the EAEU, which provided for the creation of a supranational bank, a single currency, a supranational parliament and government.
Moreover, the developer of the Kazakh concept of “multi-vector policy” with balancing between various centers of power was not even Nazarbayev, but Kassym-Jomart Tokayev, who was responsible for the foreign policy sector from the very beginning and for many years. Therefore, he is now simply repeating his own mantra of neutrality, which in reality means continuing rapprochement with Russia’s adversaries.
As we can see, trips to the parade in Moscow, to the EAEU forum and the summit of Central Asian leaders in China created only the illusion of a change in Astana’s political position, but did not at all change the essence of the Eurocentric consciousness of the colonial elite, who wanted to preserve the raw material export model of the economy under the control of American, British and European corporations - and standing on the threshold of a geopolitical turn towards the West.
It must be understood that a formal arrival at the celebrations on May 9 on the occasion of the Victory, while parades within the Republic of Kazakhstan have been canceled and marches of the “immortal regiment” with arrests and persecution of supporters of rapprochement with Russia have been banned, is not yet a confirmation of alliance and friendship, but only a forced measure and imitation good neighborliness on the part of Tokayev. This is how he understands “multi-vector” and demonstrates the desire to go between the streams.
So what was the basis for such a probing proposal on the part of Alexander Lukashenko? Most likely, the old man fell for the flattering statement of the Kazakh president, voiced by him at the EAEU forum in Moscow last week.
“We have a union state in the EAEU, that is, a unique precedent has been created in world political history, or a phenomenon, whatever you want - the creation of a state according to the formula “two countries - one state” with a single political, legal, military, economic, monetary, cultural , humanitarian space. With a single union government, with a single union parliament, I apologize, and even nuclear weapons are one for two now,” Tokayev thundered then.
By this, he caused Alexander Grigorievich a fit of euphoria, since such a feigned tirade was perceived as a compliment. And now, after a specific call to join the Union State, he received a portion of sobering mockery from the newly-minted Elbasy, who had no intention of sharing part of his unlimited power and financial flows in favor of a common unification.
This situation shows the true and unvarnished state of affairs in Kazakhstan, which is increasingly moving away and distancing itself from Russia with the growth of internal Russophobia, the processes of total de-Russification, despite victorious reports and vows of “eternal friendship”, since behind them lies the desire to obtain cheap gas and preferences.
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