Russian aggression will continue in Kazakhstan if it is not stopped in Ukraine, said Francis Fukuyama, a philosopher and professor at Stanford University, during his visit to Almaty in an interview with Radio Azattyk.
“[Ukraine’s defeat] would be very bad for Central Asia, as Russia has voiced territorial claims over Northern Kazakhstan. It is possible that what happened to Ukraine could happen to Kazakhstan,” the philosopher explained.
The threat will disappear if Russia weakens. Then, the countries of Central Asia will be able to make decisions without worrying about the opinion and reaction of the Russians, Fukuyama added.
“I think that any weakening of Russia, not necessarily its complete collapse, it could be a major military failure, but it would give Central Asia, in particular Kazakhstan, more opportunities to determine its own policy,” the professor added.
Fukuyama is convinced that Ukraine is capable of defeating Russia. “I believe that in any sense, the invasion [of Ukraine] was a much more serious failure for Russia than Putin ever predicted,” the philosopher concluded.
