Analyst sees revanchism in Russia’s integration projects

May 30, BPN. Kazakhstan has never considered joining the Union State of Russia and Belarus, political analyst Roza Turarbiekava has told BPN.

Her comment comes the day after Kazakhstan’s president dismissed Alaksandr Łukašenka’s offer to join the Union State as a joke.

Kazakhstan is not eager to engage in military-political integration projects with Russia amid war and sanctions, said Turarbiekava, a former international affairs lecturer with Belarusian State University.

The upgrade of the Union State launched in 2018 aims to involve former Soviet republics in the revanchist project, Turarbiekava noted. Łukašenka is now trying to convince other nations to join the Union State, yet no one takes it seriously, including Astana, she added.

“The Union State was founded as a Slavic alliance. What does Kazakhstan have to do with it? Nothing,” she said.

Kazakhstan is more interested in Eurasian projects, she noted.

Łukašenka’s recent public exchanges with Kazakh leader Kassym-Jomart Tokayev might be a continuation of secret discussions common at Eurasian Economic Union (EAEU) summits, she added.