- Reports that the United States purchased 81 fighter jets from Kazakhstan are likely false, experts say.
- They cited Kazakhstan’s deep economic ties with Russia and the report’s sources.
- Kazakhstan has denied selling planes to Ukraine, saying foreign companies were not allowed to bid.
Reports that the United States acquired 81 obsolete Soviet-era fighter jets from Kazakhstan are likely false, military analysts say.
On Sunday, the Kyiv Post reported that Kazakhstan auctioned off 117 Soviet-era fighter jets and bombers for an estimated 1 billion tenge, or $2.26 million, of which 81 were purchased by the UNITED STATES.
The media outlet cited information from the Ukrainian Telegram channel Insider UA and the Russian news site Reporter.
The Kyiv Post said the reason for the U.S. purchase had not been made public, but that the plane would “probably” be transferred to Ukraine, which is fighting Russia’s full-scale invasion.
But Kazspetsexport, Kazakhstan’s state arms importer and exporter, denied selling military aircraft to Ukraine later. statementsaying foreign companies were not allowed to bid.
According to Francisco Olmos, a researcher at the Foreign Policy Center specializing in Central Asian affairs, it is “very” difficult to establish whether the sale actually took place.
But he added that Kazspetsexport’s refusal “gives weight to the fact that such a purchase by the United States did not occur.”
He also said he did not see why Kazakhstan would indirectly supply spare parts for Ukrainian planes.
Considering Ukraine reliance on Soviet-era weaponsThe Kyiv Post had suggested that the aircraft could either serve as a source of spare parts or be strategically deployed as a decoy at airfields.
“Astana has maintained a balanced position during the conflict, and this would significantly change that,” Olmos said. “Let us not forget that Russia and Kazakhstan continue to maintain close ties, politically and economically.”
Alexander Libman, a professor of Russian and East European politics at the Free University of Berlin, said he would “seriously doubt” whether such a deal could happen.
“Kazakhstan has been extremely careful not to create tensions with both Russia and Western countries, and supplying weapons to Ukraine would be a clear violation of this strategy,” he told BI.
The Pentagon declined to comment.
The Embassy of Kazakhstan in the United States told BI in a statement that Kazakhstan does not export or sell weapons and military equipment to any country, including the United States, under a moratorium in force since August 2022.
Since Russia launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, its neighbors, including Kazakhstan, have walked a fine line, trying to maintain an officially neutral position while, in some cases, strengthening their ties. with the West.
Some Central Asian countries, such as Kazakhstan, have even offered humanitarian aid to Ukraine.
However, for fear of a backlash from Russia, they refused to provide military equipment, Mark Temnycky, a non-resident researcher at the Atlantic Council’s Eurasia Center, told BI.
He said these countries saw Russia invade Georgia in 2008 and Ukraine in 2014 and 2022, and with large ethnic Russian and Russian-speaking populations, they fear they could be next.
Russia has also deepened its economic ties with these countries, particularly Kazakhstan, with trade between Russia and Kazakhstan valued at $26 billion and $27 billion in 2022 and 2023, record figures.
Balancing economic ties with Russia and closer relations with the West place Kazakhstan on an “increasingly difficult tightrope.” Kate Mallinson, associate member of the Russia and Eurasia program at Chatham House, told BI.
She also suggested that reports of a US-Kazakhstan deal were likely part of a disinformation campaign by Russia aimed at “driving a wedge” between Kazakhstan and its neighbors and exerting more pressure on the country to fall into line.
Wednesday, May 1, 2024: This article has been updated to include a statement from the Embassy of Kazakhstan in the United States.
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