According to Dugin and Soloviev, the former Soviet republics ‘have no right to independence’ and must reunite with Russia to avoid becoming slaves to China, America or Europe. Local governments have issued only feeble protests, invoking the ‘spirit of strategic partnership’. The suspicion that the two propagandists are saying ‘what the Russian leadership does not want to express openly, but which in reality corresponds to its plans’
The Vietnamese leader pledged support for joint efforts to bring peace to Gaza. He promised to work closely with his country’s former enemy in various areas in line with both sides' needs and priorities. Among Central Asian countries, Uzbekistan and Kazakhstan have joined the new body.
The cellulose that remains after cotton ginning is a component used in the production of gunpowder. And from 2022 to today, Uzbekistan, one of the largest producers in the region and in the world, has massively increased its exports to Moscow precisely because of the conflict in Ukraine.
With falling oil prices, double-digit inflation and a weak national currency, the World Bank predicts that growth in 2026 will not exceed 4.5%. And there is controversy in the country over the VAT increase, which could lead to a general decline in the standard of living of the Kazakh population.
The accounts of Mirziyoyev's daughters offer a glimpse into the private lives of their families, demonstrating the leaders' closeness to the people, an important element of today's “political technology”. The counter-current case of Nazarbayev's grandson who - having fallen into disgrace due to drug addiction - accused all his relatives of being “greedy and insatiable”.
The comedy ‘Ruyn kim’ (meaning ‘What family are you from?’) sought to poke fun at the prejudices that remain widespread in Kazakh society. But even the last-minute removal of explicit references to the Žalairy (Tokaev's ethnic group) or the Šapiyrašty (that of former president Nazarbaev) was not enough to avoid the wrath of some politicians who claim that it ‘undermines national unity from within’. In the end, the production company itself suspended screenings.
