Ukraine's Foreign Minister said his country "appreciated" Kazakh president Kassym-Jomart Tokayev after he suggested to his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin to freeze the war in Ukraine and revive what he called the "Istanbul 2.0" format, in a face to face meeting in Omsk.
"Perhaps it is time to freeze this conflict and return to the Istanbul Formula 2.0, because significant results were achieved there. Then, under guarantees from the great powers, including Russia, we could move toward the long-awaited peace," Tokayev told Putin during the Russia-Kazakhstan Interregional Cooperation Forum in Omsk on Saturday.
In a post on X, Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha wrote: "We appreciate President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev telling Putin it is time to stop the war. A realistic, timely, and wise message."
"Ukraine has proposed stopping the war along current frontlines and turning to diplomacy, but the Kremlin continues to reject this clear path to peace," he added.
Tokayev also told Putin that Kazakhstan has always respected the Ukrainian people, their language and culture, adding that the nature of the war is "not entirely clear to many, including us."
