Kazakhstan Declares Calm Restored; Russian Troops to Leave in Two Days

All troops expected out in 10 days

The unrest in Kazakhstan appears to be ending with the crackdown joined by 2,030 Russian-led CSTO troops. President Tokayev, who is presenting what happened as a failed coup, says the Russian troops will begin withdrawing in two days.

This is a particularly important point officials want to make. The US State Department loudly opposed the Russian involvement, warning that the Kazakhs would never get rid of them after the crisis was over. They were saying that Sunday, now on Tuesday the timetable for the pullout is already announced.

The protests started with rising fuel prices, and spread from smaller towns to all the major cities. Some 10,000 people were arrested for their roles in the protests, and looting.

Tokayev says it is expected that all the foreign troops will be out of Kazakhstan in no more than 10 days, putting an end to the intervention. The State Department is still demanding the CSTO withdraw.

Author: Jason Ditz

Jason Ditz is Senior Editor for Antiwar.com. He has 20 years of experience in foreign policy research and his work has appeared in The American Conservative, Responsible Statecraft, Forbes, Toronto Star, Minneapolis Star-Tribune, Providence Journal, Washington Times, and the Detroit Free Press.