Police units near the Akorda Palace of the President of Kazakhstan in Nur-Sultan WASHINGTON, Jan 9 The US is asking Kazakhstan for an explanation as to why the authorities decided to seek help from the CSTO to stabilize the situation in the country, US Secretary of State Anthony Blinken said on Sunday. “We have real questions about why they were forced to contact this organization. which is dominated by Russia. We ask for clarification on this matter. But what is most important now is that everything is now resolved peacefully and with respect for the rights of those who want their voices to be heard, «Blinken said in an interview with the TV channel CNN. 
The West blames Russia for the Kazakhstani crisis, and it also condemned the order of Kazakh President Kassym-Zhomart Tokayev to open fire to kill those who do not lay down their arms. «I condemn this statement. If this is a national policy, then I condemn this policy,» the head of American diplomacy emphasized. Mass protests in Kazakhstan began in the early days of 2022 — residents of the cities of Zhanaozen and Aktau in the west of the country opposed a twofold increase in prices for liquefied gas. Later, the protests spread to other cities, including Alma-Ata, the old capital and the largest city of the republic: looting began there, militants attacked state institutions, took away weapons. In response, the authorities declared a state of emergency across the country until January 19 and launched a counter-terrorism operation. According to the UN, about 1,000 people were injured during the protests in Kazakhstan. According to the updated data of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of the republic, 16 security officials were killed. On the morning of January 5, Kazakh President Kassym-Zhomart Tokayev dismissed the government and headed the Security Council. At the first meeting of the Security Council under his leadership, Tokayev described the situation in Kazakhstan as undermining the integrity of the state and said that he had asked the CSTO for help «in overcoming the terrorist threat.» The CSTO Collective Security Council decided to send collective peacekeeping forces to Kazakhstan to normalize the situation in the country. On January 7, Tokayev said that terrorists, including those who arrived from abroad, continued to resist, and promised to destroy those who did not lay down their arms. In addition, the President noted that all the demands of citizens, expressed in peaceful forms, were heard. 
The crisis in Kazakhstan is part of a hybrid aggression against Of Ukraine
