Speaking Alongside Putin, Kazakh President Calls for Freeze of Ukraine War

By Reuters July 26, 2026 Kazakhstan's President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev and Vladimir Putin. Kremlin Kazakhstan's President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev said on Saturday that a peace deal between Russia and Ukraine might be reached if the sides froze the conflict and resumed negotiations. Speaking alongside Russian President Vladimir Putin at a Russia-Kazakhstan forum in the Siberian city of Omsk, Tokayev praised Putin's "utmost diplomatic flexibility." "If I may offer my humble opinion, since I have been asked, perhaps it is time to freeze this conflict and return to the Istanbul formula 2.0," he said. Russia and Ukraine participated in talks in Istanbul soon after Russia's full-scale invasion in early 2022 and again in 2025, though the discussions failed to produce a breakthrough. "With [security] guarantees from the great powers, including Russia, we could move forward toward a long-awaited peace," Tokayev said. "This must be brought to an end." Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said Putin outlined to Tokayev in detail the current state of Russia's military operations in Ukraine. Peskov quoted the Kremlin leader as saying that "freezing the conflict as such is impossible, given Kyiv's position" and that military action could be halted today if Kyiv adopted appropriate decisions. Putin said last month that Russia would continue to demand that Ukraine withdraw from four regions Russia says are its own and publicly drop its plans to join NATO as conditions for peace. Read more about: Putin , Kazakhstan , Ukraine war Sign up for our free weekly newsletter Our weekly newsletter contains a hand-picked selection of news, features, analysis and more from The Moscow Times. You will receive it in your mailbox every Friday. Never miss the latest news from Russia. Preview Subscribers agree to the Privacy Policy We sent a confirmation to your email. Please confirm your subscription. A Message from The Moscow Times: Dear readers, We are facing unprecedented challenges. Russia's Prosecutor General's Office has designated The Moscow Times as an "undesirable" organization, criminalizing our work and putting our staff at risk of prosecution. This follows our earlier unjust labeling as a "foreign agent." These actions are direct attempts to silence independent journalism in Russia. The authorities claim our work "discredits the decisions of the Russian leadership." We see things differently: we strive to provide accurate, unbiased reporting on Russia. We, the journalists of The Moscow Times, refuse to be silenced. But to continue our work, we need your help. Your support, no matter how small, makes a world of difference. If you can, please support us monthly starting from just $2. It's quick to set up, and every contribution makes a significant impact. By supporting The Moscow Times, you're defending open, independent journalism in the face of repression. Thank you for standing with us. Once Monthly Annual Continue Not ready to support today? Remind me later. × Remind me next month Remind me Thank you! Your reminder is set. We will send you one reminder email a month from now. For details on the personal data we collect and how it is used, please see our Privacy Policy. Read more Putin Briefs China, India and Regional Allies on Witkoff Talks The Kremlin leader’s phone call blitz comes on the same day as Donald Trump’s deadline for Russia to end the war or face new sanctions. 3 Min read Kremlin Denies Putin Threatened Ex-British PM Johnson With Missile Attack Former British Prime Minister Boris Johnson said Russian President Vladimir Putin had threatened him with a lethal missile attack days before the Russian... opinion Tatiana Stanovaya Re-Election, Reshuffle and Warring Elites: Putin's Key Challenges in 2023 More than 10 months on from the invasion of Ukraine, the contrast between the scale of the external shocks faced by Russia and the relative inertia inside... Putin Seeks Escalation with Ukraine Missile Blitz – Experts With Russia firing a hail of missiles into Ukraine on Monday and Belarus making fresh threats against Kyiv, President Vladimir Putin is seeking...