00:44Mandatory credit: Kazakhstan Foreign Ministry
Aibek Smadiarov, spokesperson for the Kazakh Foreign Ministry, claimed Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky's recent interview with Central Asian media representatives was 'questionable', during a briefing on Monday.
"We find the whole idea of the interview very questionable. It turned out to be more emotional than rational. It would have been much easier to address the Kazakh audience through the Ukrainian media," Smadiarov said.
The Foreign Ministry spokesperson emphasised that Kiev unilaterally initiated the meeting and failed to inform Astana about the upcoming interview through diplomatic channels.
On May 25, the Orda online edition's YouTube channel released a one-hour interview in Russian featuring the Ukrainian president and journalists from Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, and Uzbekistan. During the conversation, Zelensky claimed that the countries 'currently have little influence on the Kremlin's policies, as Russia is economically and militarily stronger'.
Moscow launched a military offensive in Ukraine in late February 2022 after recognising the independence of the Donetsk and Lugansk People's Republics (DPR and LPR), claiming that Kiev had failed to guarantee their special status under the 2014 Minsk Agreements, and urging Ukraine to declare itself officially neutral and give assurances that it would never join NATO.
Kiev denounced the Russian action as an invasion. Zelensky imposed martial law throughout the country, announcing a general mobilisation, while the EU and the US imposed several rounds of sanctions on Moscow.
'More emotional than rational' - Kazakh FM calls Zelensky's interview with Central Asian media 'questionable'
Aibek Smadiarov, spokesperson for the Kazakh Foreign Ministry, claimed Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky's recent interview with Central Asian media representatives was 'questionable', during a briefing on Monday.
"We find the whole idea of the interview very questionable. It turned out to be more emotional than rational. It would have been much easier to address the Kazakh audience through the Ukrainian media," Smadiarov said.
The Foreign Ministry spokesperson emphasised that Kiev unilaterally initiated the meeting and failed to inform Astana about the upcoming interview through diplomatic channels.
On May 25, the Orda online edition's YouTube channel released a one-hour interview in Russian featuring the Ukrainian president and journalists from Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, and Uzbekistan. During the conversation, Zelensky claimed that the countries 'currently have little influence on the Kremlin's policies, as Russia is economically and militarily stronger'.
Moscow launched a military offensive in Ukraine in late February 2022 after recognising the independence of the Donetsk and Lugansk People's Republics (DPR and LPR), claiming that Kiev had failed to guarantee their special status under the 2014 Minsk Agreements, and urging Ukraine to declare itself officially neutral and give assurances that it would never join NATO.
Kiev denounced the Russian action as an invasion. Zelensky imposed martial law throughout the country, announcing a general mobilisation, while the EU and the US imposed several rounds of sanctions on Moscow.
Mandatory credit: Kazakhstan Foreign Ministry
Aibek Smadiarov, spokesperson for the Kazakh Foreign Ministry, claimed Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky's recent interview with Central Asian media representatives was 'questionable', during a briefing on Monday.
"We find the whole idea of the interview very questionable. It turned out to be more emotional than rational. It would have been much easier to address the Kazakh audience through the Ukrainian media," Smadiarov said.
The Foreign Ministry spokesperson emphasised that Kiev unilaterally initiated the meeting and failed to inform Astana about the upcoming interview through diplomatic channels.
On May 25, the Orda online edition's YouTube channel released a one-hour interview in Russian featuring the Ukrainian president and journalists from Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, and Uzbekistan. During the conversation, Zelensky claimed that the countries 'currently have little influence on the Kremlin's policies, as Russia is economically and militarily stronger'.
Moscow launched a military offensive in Ukraine in late February 2022 after recognising the independence of the Donetsk and Lugansk People's Republics (DPR and LPR), claiming that Kiev had failed to guarantee their special status under the 2014 Minsk Agreements, and urging Ukraine to declare itself officially neutral and give assurances that it would never join NATO.
Kiev denounced the Russian action as an invasion. Zelensky imposed martial law throughout the country, announcing a general mobilisation, while the EU and the US imposed several rounds of sanctions on Moscow.