Russia’s Saber-Rattling Against Neighbor Risks Drawing China’s Ire

Russian saber-rattling against Kazakhstan for failing to back Moscow’s war on Ukraine risks angering China and further destabilizing the central Asian region, according to a widely respected international affairs think tank. Russian commentators’ rhetoric against Kazakhstan, traditionally a Moscow ally, has escalated after it upheld the Western sanctions against the Kremlin following President Vladimir Putin’s attempted invasion of Ukraine. This has soured the historical alliance as Astana, the capital of Kazakhstan, seeks to balance relations with great powers. But any move by Russia towards an invasion of Kazakhstan would risk drawing China’s ire, an associate fellow at Chatham House, the…