Last week the world was shocked by the riots and chaos that took place in Kazakhstan.
It was the worst riot ever in the former Soviet Union country since the collapse of the Soviet Union three decades ago.
Currently, the situation is calm, especially in Almaty, the capital of Kazakhstan, which is the main battleground between Kazakhs and the anti-riot police.
At the height of the riots, more than 160 people were killed and 8,000 people were arrested in an effort to curb the riots from becoming out of control.
Kazakh President Kassym Jomart Tokayev at the time had asked for Russian help to send military aid to resolve the unrest and Vladimir Putin had sent military aid in an effort to control the situation in Kazakhstan where the action was heavily criticized by the United States and European countries.
But now, Russia has begun to withdraw its troops from Kazakhstan as the situation has returned to calm and control.
Kazakh President Kassym Jomart Tokayev described the riots and unrest that took place last week as a failed coup attempt by elements from within and outside the country.
Kassym Jomart Tokayev also stated that the riots which were described as a coup attempt were coordinated through a command center, with no name of the parties involved, he claimed it was coordination of external elements with close ties and ties with the West.
Kassym Jomart Tokayev added that the armed militia group was waiting for the right time to join the riots that took place at that time and the main thing to be achieved was to create as much instability as possible, tear down government institutions, and subsequently carry out a coup.
Russia is not the only superpower to have close ties with Kazakhstan.
Chinese President Xi Jinping also gave strong support to Kassym Jomart Tokayev during last week’s riots and even supported Vladimir Putin’s move to send military aid to Kazakhstan to control the situation.
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Edrogan also gave his support to Kazakh President Kassym Jomart Tokayev and assured his counterparts that Turkey pays serious attention and closely follows developments in Kazakhstan.
Yet Vladimir Putin and Xi Jinping agreed with Kassym Jomart Tokayev that the incidents of riots and unrest in Kazakhstan were orchestrated by elements from outside while giving indications that it was an effort from the west.
At a glance, it does not seem at all that the riots and unrest were orchestrated by any interested party because it is clear in the world’s major media that the unrest is due to the dissatisfaction of Kazakhs over the recent increase in fuel prices. height.
But if we refine the situation in Central Asia and its environs at the time, we will find that what Kassym Jomart Tokayev, Vladimir Putin, and Xi Jinping said may be true which is actually a clash of power and geopolitical influence between Russia and the United States and the European Union. in Central Asia and the countries of the former Soviet Union.
During the turmoil and riots in Kazakhstan, there were two high-level negotiations that had a major impact on Central Asia and the countries of the former Soviet Union, namely the negotiations between Russia and NATO led by the United States.
Both talks are focused on the situation in Ukraine, namely the possibility of Russia capturing Ukraine and a large number of Russian troops on the Ukrainian border where the United States and NATO are currently issuing stern warnings including the threat of sanctions if Russia continues with its plans to capture Ukraine.
Just as the situation in the South China Sea between China and the United States brought intimidation, threats, and troops to the South China Sea to shake China by using Taiwan as bait, so as is the situation with Ukraine where the situation is very similar to the Taiwan situation.
If the issue of the South China Sea and China, North Korea is used as a “punching bag” by the United States and its allies in an effort to cripple China because of the close ties between Pyongyang and Beijing, in the issue of Russia and Central Asia and the former Soviet Union, Kazakhstan seems to be “punched bag “by the United States and the European Union because of the close ties between the two countries.
Prior to the riots in Kazakhstan, there was another clash between Russia and the West, the immigrant crisis on the Belarus-Poland border, including Latvia and Lithuania, which saw clashes between immigrants and Polish security forces backed by the European Union and the United States.
Belarus, another country of the former Soviet Union is a strong ally of Russia where Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko is a strong ally of Vladimir Putin.
After the failure of the issue of immigrants on the Belarus-Poland border to weaken Russia’s influence among the countries of the former Soviet Union, the effort seems to continue with Kazakhstan being the latest “scapegoat”.
Most countries of the former Soviet Union still have close ties with Russia such as Belarus, Kazakhstan and several other countries and for a long time the United States and the European Union tried to dissolve that influence by trying to bring in as many former Soviet Union countries as possible into the arms of the Union. Europe.
Ukraine was also formerly a strong ally of Russia when Viktor Yanukovych became President of Ukraine but fled Ukraine when the Ukrainian uprising against it.
The situation worsened when Russia captured Crimea, a Ukrainian territory located between the borders of the two countries.
Since then, Ukraine seems to have become symbolic of the clash between Russia and the West.
Like most of the countries of the former Soviet Union that have a strategic position and considerable natural resources, Kazakhstan is among the countries that are quite rich in crude oil and gas resources.
Ukraine is strategically positioned as the main gateway to the Black Sea as well as being the main route to the Bosphorus Strait to the Aegean Sea and European countries and then to the Mediterranean Sea and West Asia.
Once again it can be said that if true as many world geopolitical analysts expect, the West has failed to weaken Russia with the chaos and riots going on in Kazakhstan.
Vladimir Putin’s swift action of sending military aid to Kazakhstan seems to have succeeded in resolving the ongoing riots and once again destroyed the dreams of the United States and the European Union to weaken Russia’s influence in Central Asia and among the countries of the former Soviet Union.
Once again Ukraine will continue to be a major battleground between Russia and the West following the latest negotiations between Russia and NATO finding failure.
In East Asia and the South China Sea, similar clashes took place between China and the United States with its allies from European countries, Japan, South Korea, Australia and India with Taiwan being the main battleground.
To what extent will these clashes both in Central Asia and the countries of the former Soviet Union as well as East Asia and the South China Sea continue?
West Asia, which was once the main battleground of the world’s great powers, has been in chaos and many countries have been shattered and shattered.
Take a lesson from what is happening in West Asia and from the conflicts that are happening around the world right now.
Do not invite outside elements to interfere in the political and administrative affairs of the country before it is too late because later “regret later is useless”.
May the World and Muslims always be protected and blessed by Allah SWT.
Islam Unites the Ummah.
Muhammad Khalil Abdul Hadi.
Chairman of the Central PAS International Affairs and External Relations Committee.