Kazakh-Russian Relations in Light of Western Sanctions Pressure

Currently, Russia has found itself under unprecedented sanctions pressure from the countries of the collective West in connection with the military conflict in Ukraine. Sanctions as an instrument of influence aim to change the internal political course in the sanctioned country and are one of the additional levers to influence the partner countries. Kazakhstan is one of its main partners of Russia in the Eurasian Economic Union, and bilateral trade, economic, and investment relations are actively developing. The article discusses how sanctions have affected bilateral cooperation between Kazakhstan and Russia. The data of national statistics as well as of the National Bank of Kazakhstan were used. At the same time one of the threats to bilateral relations are the statements of several political actors, political scientists and political technologists of the Russian Federation.