[Tailgunner Joe]

Putin has a truly Soviet penchant for rewriting history.

[odds]

USSR had structural changes when it fell not cultural ones. Many key Russian officials today were part of the old structure. Putin too. Russian expansionism always there, czarist or soviet. Sadly, i think putin has much support among ordinary russians.

[BobL]

Be interesting to see how we stop Putin from moving on the Kazakhs, if he wants to.

[PIF]

He want this back: Baikonur Cosmodrome, Baikonur, Kazakhstan.

[Cowboy Bob]

One history chapter of which Kazakhs may like to remind Putin is the independent Kazakh Khanate state, which lasted from the 15th to the 19th century before it was weakened by invasions, taken over by the Russian Empire, and later became part of the Soviet Union.

Why would the Kazakhs want to remind Putin of this?

Maybe while the Kazakhs are lecturing Putin, he can remind them that northern Kazakhstan used to be part of Russia. Like the Crimea, it was "given away" by Khrushchev. What was given as a gift can easily be taken back.

Kazakhstan is 4 times larger than France with a population of 17 million people. Ethnic Kazakh population is about 12 million. Kazakhs have priority over minority groups for jobs and other benefits.

Russia could take over Kazakhstan in a matter of days if it wished to, and nobody can do anything about it. Especially if Russia offers up a chunk of Kazakhstan to China as a friendship gesture.

[familyop]

They should've known better than to lie with commie/fascist dogs.

Collective Security Treaty Organization
Wikipedia

Member states[edit]

Current members
Armenia (2002)
Belarus (2002)
Kazakhstan (2002)
Kyrgyzstan (2002)
Russia (2002)
Tajikistan (2002)

Observers
Afghanistan (2013)
Serbia (2013)

Possible candidates
Iran

Former members
Azerbaijan (joined 1994, withdrew 1999)
Georgia (joined 1994, withdrew 1999)
Uzbekistan (joined 1994, withdrew 2012)

Russia has military friends in its Collective Security Treaty Organisation (CSTO: members listed below).

All of the following excerpts are from the CIA World Factbook (as accessed on 4MAY14).

Russia
Religions:

Russian Orthodox 15-20%, Muslim 10-15%, other Christian 2% (2006 est.) note: estimates are of practicing worshipers; Russia has large populations of non-practicing believers and non-believers, a legacy of over seven decades of Soviet rule

Kazakhstan
Religions:

Muslim 70.2%, Christian 26.2% (Russian Orthodox 23.9%, other Christian 2.3%), Buddhist 0.1%, other 0.2%, atheist 2.8%, unspecified 0.5% (2009 Census)

Kyrgyzstan
Religions:

Muslim 75%, Russian Orthodox 20%, other 5%

Tajikistan
Religions:

Sunni Muslim 85%, Shia Muslim 5%, other 10% (2003 est.)

Belarus
Government restrictions on freedom of speech and the press, peaceful assembly, and religion remain in place.
Religions:

Eastern Orthodox 80%, other (including Roman Catholic, Protestant, Jewish, and Muslim) 20% (1997 est.)

Armenia
Religions:

Armenian Apostolic 92.6%, Evangelical 1%, other 2.4%, none 1.1%, unspecified 2.9% (2011 est.)

[1010RD]

Obama’s being more flexible.

[MeganC]

When one makes a deal with the Devil there’s Hell to pay. Khazakhstan just opened their bill.

[Cen-Tejas]

As Clint famously said...........”they need to arm themselves”.............

[eleni121]

Putin is right as usual...wake up so called conservatives.