Paul Goble
Staunton, July 28 – Many Russians see any criticism of what Moscow is doing as a manifestation of Russophobia, but that is wrong, two Kazakhstan political scientists say. In their country, as in other former Soviet republics, not all of the many who reject Kremlin actions in Ukraine or elsewhere dislike Russia and Russians as such.
That means, Gaziz Abishev says, that Russophobia isn’t on the rise in Kazakhstan or in the other countries. Instead, “the war in Ukraine has had a negative impact on the international image of Russia and the Russians” but that alone is not Russophobia (spik.kz/2666-rusofobija-v-kazahstane-mif-realnost-ili-instrument-manipuljacij.html).
His colleague, Talgat Ismagambetoc says that what is going on is often “not about Russophobia and its obsessions about the Russian people but rather a negative response to Kremlin policies.” Not surprisingly, Moscow’s moves against Ukraine led many in those countries to “distance themselves from the Russian authorities.”
The appearance of Russophobia in the classical sense in Kazakhstan and the others, both suggest, reflects Russian commentaries which people in the former Soviet space can read because they share the Russian language. If Moscow had invaded a Spanish-speaking country, for example, that kind of influence would not exist.
Unfortunately, Isagambetov says, “the position of part of Russian politicians, including opponents of the existing power in the Russian Federation” has an unfortunate impact in Kazakhstan. It certainly appears that such Russians “often are not sufficiently sentives to the itnersts, culture and languages of the post-Soviet republics.”
And such attitudes, he says, leads some Kazakhs to extend their anger about Kremlin moves in Ukraine to the Russians as such, a development that could have the most negative impact on public life in Kazakhstan if that continues, a danger people in both countries should be alive to.
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