Putin: Russia and Kazakhstan are 'connected historically and today by a thousand threads'

Russian President Vladimir Putin met with Kazakhstan's President Nursultan Nazarbayev on Tuesday. Putin emphasized the importance of the two countries maintaining a close relationship.

Putin's visit comes after his controversial remarks in August, when he suggested that Kazakhstan was only a state under its current president. At the time, Putin said that Nazarbayev "created" Kazakhstan's statehood, The Associated Press reports. His remarks caused concern in Kazakhstan, where people thought Putin's statements seemed to "question its future as an independent state," AP notes.

At today's meeting, Putin said Russia and Kazakhstan are "connected historically and today by a thousand threads, which unite us and help us develop, supporting each other."

The Week

Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

SUBSCRIBE & SAVE

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters

From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.

From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.

Sign up

AP notes that the conflict in Ukraine has "strained ties" between Putin and Nazarbayev, and trade between the two countries has dropped in recent months.