Russia's allies are pushing Putin to strike a peace deal

War should be the art of disposing of enemies rather than friends. But yesterday Kazakhstan's President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev publicly called on Russian leader Vladimir Putin to "freeze" the war in Ukraine, arguing that "it is a shame, young people are dying" and that "all this has to be stopped." He contested Moscow's narrative of the conflict, saying that the roots "are not completely understandable for many, including for us", and suggested a return to the 2022 Istanbul negotiating framework.