Kazakhstan update. After the Kazakh government resigned on Wednesday and protests continued into Thursday, President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev turned to the Russian-led Collective Security Treaty Organization for help in fighting what he called “terrorist gangs.” The CSTO deployed its Collective Peacekeeping Forces, including troops from Russia, Armenia, Belarus, Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan, to Kazakhstan.
Africa matters. The U.S. special envoy for the Horn of Africa will meet with Ethiopian officials in Addis Ababa on Thursday to discuss peace talks with Tigray rebels. The visit comes a day after China’s foreign minister held a meeting with Eritrean officials where they too discussed the Tigray conflict. Relatedly, Beijing announced on Thursday that it would also appoint a special envoy for the Horn of Africa.
Gas deal. Russian firm Gazprom and Turkey’s Petroleum Pipeline Corp. signed a new contract for the supply of up to 5.75 billion cubic meters of Russian natural gas annually through the TurkStream pipeline for the next four years.
Diplomacy. The foreign ministers of Russia and Turkey held talks by phone. They discussed bilateral relations, the upcoming Russia-NATO Council summit in Brussels, Kazakhstan, Bosnia and Herzegovina, and the Caucasus. The Turkish minister also spoke Wednesday with the NATO secretary-general.
Chinese funding. Morocco and China signed an agreement to develop technology, energy, trade and agriculture projects. Funding for the projects will come from China’s Belt and Road Initiative.
Moscow meeting. Russia will hold talks in Moscow on Ukraine with Germany and France under the Normandy format on Thursday.
The Geopolitics of the American President