On January 5, in response to the then-rapidly worsening national crisis in Kazakhstan, which was triggered by increased fuel prices resulting in popular protests sweeping the country, President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev formally requested an intervention by the Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO). The following day, the security situation deteriorated further, especially in Almaty where demonstrations turned into widespread looting and destruction of property, including government buildings. Thus, on January 6, for the first time in its history, the Moscow-led CSTO authorized the deployment of military forces in support of the Tokayev regime. The ensuing temporary “peacekeeping” operation by the CSTO in Kazakhstan, January 6–15, marked a turning point for the Russian-dominated alliance (Krasnaya Zvezda, January 12, 2022).
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