Putin: The Attack on Kazakhstan Was an Aggressive Act That Required an Immediate Response

Russian President Vladimir Putin stated that the attack on Kazakhstan was an aggressive act that needed to be responded to without delay. He added during an extraordinary virtual session of the Collective Security Council of the Collective Security Treaty Organization on Monday that some external and internal forces exploited the economic situation in Kazakhstan to achieve their own goals. He emphasized that the Collective Security Treaty Organization was able to take important measures to prevent the deterioration of the situation in Kazakhstan. He clarified that the organization made the necessary decision in a timely manner. Putin also noted that the Collective Security forces would remain in Kazakhstan for a period determined by the presidency of that country. The Russian president asserted that the events in Kazakhstan were not the first attempt, nor would they be the last, at external intervention, emphasizing that the countries of the Collective Security Treaty Organization demonstrated that they would not allow "color revolutions." He added that "recent events in Kazakhstan confirm that some forces do not hesitate to use cyberspace and social networks to recruit extremists and terrorists, forming sleeper cells of militants."