Kazakh President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev said that military activities in Ukraine should first be frozen, followed by diplomatic or other types of negotiations, to end the conflict.

Tokayev made the remarks during a press conference with German Chancellor Friedrich Merz. Saying that they have great respect for the Ukrainian people, their history, culture, traditions and language, Tokayev said that immediately stopping the war might not be realistic under the current circumstances.

The Kazakh President described Russian President Vladimir Putin as a “prominent statesman.” Tokayev also thanked Putin for understanding his position on ending the conflict in Ukraine.

Tokayev said he considers Putin “the most acceptable political figure” not only for Central Asia, including Kazakhstan, but also for Europe and the world, acknowledging the view might sound surprising. He said relations with Moscow must take into account the countries’ 7,597-kilometer shared border, the 2.7 million ethnic Russians living in Kazakhstan and the significant presence of the Orthodox Church.