Russia Leads CSTO Peace Force In Kazakhstan, United States: We Monitor Closely

Russian military illustration. (Wikimedia Commons/Vitaly V Kuzmin)

JAKARTA - The United States is closely monitoring reports of peacekeepers from the Russian-led Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO) being deployed to Kazakhstan. And have questions about whether they were lawfully invited into the country, the White House said Thursday.

Fresh violence erupted in Kazakhstan's main city, after Russia deployed paratroopers to quell a country-wide insurgency in one of the former Soviet Union and Moscow's closest ally.

The CSTO secretary general told RIA news agency the peacekeeping force in total would number around 2,500 and could be strengthened if necessary.

"We are closely monitoring reports that the Collective Security Treaty Organization has sent its collective peacekeeping force to Kazakhstan," White House press secretary Jen Psaki said at a news conference.

"We have questions about the nature of this request and whether it was a valid invitation or not. We don't know at this time," Psaki said.

Psaki said Washington would watch for any human rights violations and any action that might predicate the seizure of Kazakh institutions.

Earlier Thursday, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken spoke with Kazakh Foreign Minister Mukhtar Tileuberdi about the ongoing state of emergency in Kazakhstan.

"The minister reiterated the United States' full support for Kazakhstan's constitutional institutions, freedom of the media and advocates for peaceful resolutions, respecting the right to crisis," the State Department said in a statement.

As previously reported, Kazakh President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev said in a speech to his people he had submitted an application to the Russia-led Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO), to combat what he called "terrorist groups" who had "received extensive training abroad". '.

It is known, the CSTO itself is an alliance consisting of Russia, Belarus, Armenia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan. CSTO responded to the request of Kazakhstan.

Meanwhile, Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan who is currently the Chair of the CSTO said on Facebook, the alliance will send a collective peacekeeping force for a limited period of time, in order to stabilize and normalize the situation in the country caused by outside interference," quoted The National News. .