Kazakh President Tokayev Urges a Freeze of the Ukraine War

At a Russia-Kazakhstan forum in Omsk, President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev said the Ukraine war could move toward a peace deal if the fighting were halted and negotiations resumed. He suggested returning to the “Istanbul formula 2.0,” the framework first discussed after Russia’s full-scale invasion in early 2022 and revisited in 2025 without achieving a breakthrough.

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The original Istanbul talks in 2022 brought Moscow and Kyiv together for the first diplomatic engagement since the invasion began. A second round in 2025 attempted to build on that dialogue but also failed to produce a concrete cease-fire or peace agreement. The “Istanbul formula 2.0” referenced by Tokayev is an informal term for a renewed set of security arrangements that would involve major powers as guarantors.

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Speaking alongside Russian President Vladimir Putin, Tokayev praised what he called Putin’s “utmost diplomatic flexibility.” He argued that a temporary freeze of hostilities, backed by guarantees from major powers, could create the conditions needed for renewed talks. No official response from Kyiv or other international actors was reported in the source material.

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• “With (security) guarantees from the great powers, including Russia, we could move forward toward a long-awaited peace,” — Tokayev

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Tokayev’s proposal signals a willingness from Kazakhstan to act as a diplomatic bridge between Moscow and Kyiv, leveraging its close ties to both Russia and the broader Eurasian community. If the suggested freeze were accepted, it could open a window for renewed negotiations under the Istanbul framework, though the absence of a publicly stated response from Ukraine leaves the feasibility of such a move uncertain.

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