But the Kremlin has repeatedly denied that it is planning to invade.
Long a close ally of Moscow, Belarusian president Aleksandr Lukašenko was left wholly dependent on the Kremlin, which came to his rescue after mass protests in 2020 threatened his decades‐long grip on power.
Putin has spoken regularly with Tokaev since January 5, but the Kremlin has said nothing about any contacts with Nazarbaev.