Kazakhstan–Ukraine relations

Kazakhstan-Ukraine relations
Map indicating locations of Kazakhstan and Ukraine

Kazakhstan
Ukraine

Kazakhstan–Ukraine relations are foreign relations between Kazakhstan and Ukraine. Before 1918, both countries were part of the Russian Empire and until 1991 they were part of the USSR. Both countries established diplomatic relations in 1991. Kazakhstan has an embassy in Kyiv and an honorary consulate in Odesa. Ukraine has an embassy in Astana and a consulate-general in Almaty. There are between 895,000 and 2,400,000 ethnic Ukrainians living in Kazakhstan. Both countries are full members of TRACECA, of the Baku Initiative, of the Euro-Atlantic Partnership Council, Partnership for Peace and of the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe. They are only 468 kilometres (291 mi) apart at their closest points.

History

On 14 October 2013, Foreign Minister Erlan Idrisov met with Ukrainian Foreign Minister Leonid Kozhara. The two discussed furthering bilateral cooperation amongst the two nations. Also, Ukraine holds the seat for the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) and shared what they can learn from Kazakhstan when they held the seat in 2010. Finally, Minister Kozhara announced Ukraine's President Viktor Yanukovych would visit in 2014.[1]

Post-Maidan and Russo-Ukrainian War

Yanukovych was overthrown as Ukraine's leader in 2014. Although Kazakh ally Russia vehemently opposed the post-revolutionary government in Kyiv, Astana has maintained its own ties despite the change in power.[2]

Tokayev presidency

On 4 December 2019, on the eve of a state visit to Germany, President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev gave an interview to Deutsche Welle, in which he drew controversy in Ukraine by saying that he did not believe that the annexation of Crimea by the Russian Federation was an invasion while also saying that he believed in the "wisdom of the Russian leadership", drawing condemnation from the Ukrainian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, who issued a demarche in response.[3] After the Russian invasion of Ukraine in early 2022, representatives of the Kazakh leadership, including Tokayev and Foreign Minister Mukhtar Tleuberdi condemned the invasion and refused to recognize the Donetsk People's Republic and Luhansk People's Republic.[4] Since the war, the government has participated in sending aid to Ukraine.[citation needed]

Ukraine praised Tokayev’s statements at the St. Petersburg International Economic Forum, where he stated that Kazakhstan would not recognize “quasi-state entities” that were the DPR and LPR.[5]

On August 21, 2022 Ukrainian ambassador to Kazakhstan Petro Vrublevskiy gave an interview to a Kazakhstani blogger Dias Kuzairov, in which he commented on Russian invasion of Ukraine, saying "the more Russians we kill now, the fewer of them our children will have to kill in the future." Soon after, Vrublevskiy was summoned by Kazakhstan's Foreign Ministry, which deemed these words as "inappropriate for the activities of the ambassador."[6] He had been dismissed on October 18, 2022 by President of Ukraine, Volodymyr Zelenskyy.[7]

Trade

Bilateral trade in 2012 between the two countries is according to officials more than doubled compared with 2010 and reached $4.4 billion.[8]

See also

References

  1. ^ http://www.mfa.gov.kz/en/#!/news/article/12034 Retrieved 15 October 2013. Archived 31 August 2013 at the Wayback Machine
  2. ^ Trilling, David (30 August 2014). "As Kazakhstan's Leader Asserts Independence, Did Putin Just Say, 'Not So Fast'?". Eurasianet. Retrieved 30 August 2014.
  3. ^ "Ukraine warns Kazakhstan of demarche over president Tokayev's denial of Crimea annexation by Russia – MFA". www.unian.info. Archived from the original on 21 December 2019. Retrieved 28 December 2019.
  4. ^ "Kazakhstan Says It Does Not Recognize Separatist-Controlled Territories In Ukraine As Independent". Radio Free Europe. 5 April 2022.
  5. ^ "Russia suspends shipments of Kazakh oil after Tokayev's statements at SPIEF". Hindustan News Hub. The Moscow Times. Retrieved 19 June 2022.
  6. ^ "Kazakh Foreign Ministry Summons Ukrainian Ambassador Over 'Inappropriate' Comments". Radio Free Europe. Retrieved 3 February 2023.
  7. ^ "Kyiv Dismisses Ambassador To Kazakhstan Over Comments On Killing Russians". Radio Free Europe. Retrieved 3 February 2023.
  8. ^ "Trade between Ukraine, Kazakhstan doubles in 2011". Kyiv Post. 26 March 2012. Archived from the original on 27 March 2012. Retrieved 26 March 2012.