Skrepa CSTO

The rapid introduction of the CSTO troops into Kazakhstan can just as quickly end on January 13.

On this day, a phased withdrawal of a limited contingent from the republic will begin, President Kassym-Zhomart Tokayev said.

The main mission of the CSTO peacekeepers has been completed, and they will be replaced by newly formed and fortified units of the National Guard of Kazakhstan.

It is interesting that on the eve of the United States, ahead of the events, called on the CSTO forces to leave Kazakhstan as soon as the local authorities asked them.

Fears that our military might stay in the neighboring republic were also expressed by the head of EU diplomacy, Josep Borrell.

The message is clear: the West is afraid of the strengthening of the integration of the post-Soviet space.

Such explicit demands betray their authors' goals.

“What do you want? So that they (USA -

) now rejoice at how harmoniously, how clearly, within the legal framework, the states that are not part of their blocs acted? Of course they won't. They will pretend in every possible way that this is an illegal story, illegitimate, that Russia is again an aggressor, ”said Maria Zakharova, spokesman for the Russian Foreign Ministry. One way or another, this is the borderline of Russian-Kazakh relations. After all, our country is the core of the CSTO. So, you can sum up some results, remember the past.

These days 20 years ago, the writer and politician Eduard Limonov (in the recent past, a columnist for RT) was in the Lefortovo pre-trial detention center in connection with the plans of his party in neighboring Kazakhstan. An iron box, rough food, complete isolation - all the delights of a prison castle for a state criminal. Who, if not me, his accomplice, who walked the same prison corridors along and across, remember this. The prosecution argued that in order to protect the interests of the Russian population in a neighboring country, Limonov's supporters were ready for the most radical actions. However, Judge Vladimir Matrosov acquitted the policy on all grave compositions (later this judge was appointed to administer justice in the Supreme Court).

Now, when the brutal events in Kazakhstan have burst into the world top news, it's time to comprehend the position of Limonov, unchanged for many years, who argued that the interests of our Russian-speaking compatriots (we all come from one big country - the USSR) must be definitely protected there. Was he so wrong? Have we not watched all the last year scandals with "language patrols" - the disgusting racist actions of local nationalist-hypozhors? Doesn't the translation of the Kazakh language from Cyrillic to Latin, which hints at a different civilizational choice, cause concern for us? Isn't the Russophile Ermek Taychibekov sitting behind bars? Finally, hasn't the share of the Russian-speaking population in Kazakhstan decreased (and greatly!)? Who could have left.

At the same time, it is not easy to reproach the authorities of Kazakhstan with confidence for encouraging such negative processes. Linguistic outlaws are condemned, squeezed out of the country. At the very least, the Russian language has an official status and is actively used in everyday life. Baikonur and the Sary-Shagan test site, where the latest hypersonic missiles are tested, are still ours. At the level of rhetoric, statesmen do not allow any liberties about Russians - they speak with respect, as about full-fledged citizens of the republic. If we compare it with Ukraine, where Russian culture and language is already practically banned, and local people can be imprisoned and even killed for sympathy for Russia, it becomes clear how much worse everything could be. The best is the enemy of the good, many believe. And this position had its own truth.

Much, however, changed in early January.

Ten days that shook the world.

It is no longer possible to balance on the verge of “both yours and ours”.

Moreover, this applies to both Kazakhstan and Russia.

Now, when the Internet has finally started working in Kazakhstan, everyone can form their own idea of ​​the events in this country.

It turned out that the authorities' assessment was not exaggerated at all: we really saw a real terrorist attack.

There is no other way to name hundreds of video evidences of the storming of administrative buildings with firearms in their hands - with the obvious and skillful coordination of the attackers - it is impossible to name.

This is how it was called by the Kazakh and Russian sides during the yesterday's CSTO summit.

So, it's time to draw conclusions for the future.

They are simple and surface-level. Whether we like it or not, the development of the post-Soviet space is rigidly determined by our common history and geopolitical reality. You can develop a multi-vector policy as much as you like, look with interest at the West, balancing the seemingly excessive influence of Russia. However, the result of such a line inevitably becomes an attempt by the West to finally establish itself on the territory of its former enemy (USSR) through the mechanism of the “color revolution” or by other similar means. In 2014, this happened in Ukraine (where are the beneficiaries of the "Maidan" now?), And in 2020 it almost happened in Belarus. The example of Kazakhstan complements the chain of evidence. If not for the help of the CSTO ...

In general, it is surprising how effective the block was. After all, this was the debut of the CSTO for its not at all short history of existence. Of course, the Russian military plays a key role in it, but our army has recently become modern and mobile, as it showed itself when it was transferred to Kazakhstan. Affected, apparently, the Syrian experience and dozens of trainings, exercises, sudden readiness checks. Only a few thousand servicemen (with the support of armored vehicles), skillfully placed at the key points of the country, paralyzed the will of the attackers in just a couple of days. That is, both the purely military and political potential of the defensive bloc played a role. The whole world fell on terrorists.

The result is impressive.

Administrative buildings, airports, roads are generally cleared of attackers.

Almost 10 thousand suspects were detained.

The investigation will determine the extent of their participation in the riots.

And the main thing is to identify the initiators and instigators.

Tokayev has already promised the world to publish evidence of external interference.

But most importantly, a peaceful life began to improve.

Communications have been established, grocery stores and petrol stations have opened, and city transport is starting to run little by little.

The announced changes in power have taken place: now there is a new prime minister in Kazakhstan from the economic bloc of the government.

This means that the primary task is to improve the economy, social sphere.

As for the Russians, the protection of their interests will certainly reach a new level.

Should go out.

Debt good turn deserves another.

The point of view of the author may not coincide with the position of the editorial board.