Iran Press/ Europe: Tensions are rising ahead of Russia's negotiations with the US and NATO over its security proposals, according to Mark Sleboda, a US military veteran and international affairs and security analyst, who believes that the latest sudden outburst of violence in Kazakhstan is by no means a coincidence.
Violent protests erupted in Kazakhstan several days before the beginning of US-Russia and NATO-Russia Council (NRC) security talks. Member-states of the Collective Security Treaty Organisation (CSTO) have deployed troops in the country at the request of Kazakh President Kassym-Jomart Tokaye, Sputnik reported.
Russian Ambassador to the US Anatoly Antonov told Newsweek on Friday that Moscow regards violent developments in Kazakhstan as "externally provoked" and "aimed to disrupt its security and integrity."
Kazakh riots hardly a coincidence
"I don't believe in the coincidence of the timing of the attempted armed insurrection in Kazakhstan that hijacked and used legitimate social protests for cover," says Mark Sleboda, a US military veteran and international affairs and security analyst. "The scale, scope, organisation and obvious planning all point to the likelihood of some degree of foreign direction and backing. It seems specifically timed to present Russia with the distraction of political instability on both ends, in bordering states both east and west, precisely when Russia is going into tense, high state security negotiations with the US and NATO."
However, if it was intended to weaken Russia's position going into talks with the US and NATO, it may "instead be viewed by the Kremlin as a further blatant geopolitical destabilising attack on Russia's interests and a regime change attempt at yet another Russian ally, impelling them to more drastic and decisive action than they might have taken otherwise," according to the security analyst.
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