Ukraine's Ministry of Foreign Affairs issued a pointed response on 30 November 2025 to Kazakhstan's protest over damage to the Caspian Pipeline Consortium infrastructure, highlighting Astana's failure to condemn Russia's systematic attacks on Ukrainian civilians.
The exchange exposes a rift between Kyiv and Astana at a moment when Kazakhstan exports 73% of its oil through Russian pipelines, while Russia's assault on Ukrainian energy infrastructure has left all major thermal and hydroelectric plants damaged as winter begins.
Kazakhstan demands Ukraine prevent future strikes
Kazakhstan's MFA issued a formal protest on 30 November, calling the CPC infrastructure attack "the third act of aggression against an exclusively civilian object."
Spokesman Aibek Smadiyarov declared that Kazakhstan "invariably advocates for maintaining the stability and uninterrupted supply of energy resources" and characterized the incident as "an action that damages bilateral relations" between Kazakhstan and Ukraine.
Kyiv questions Astana's silence on Russian terror campaign
Ukraine's Foreign Ministry responded by emphasizing that all Ukrainian military operations target Russia's war-making capacity under the UN Charter's Article 51 right to self-defense.
"We separately draw attention to the absence of previous statements from the Kazakh side condemning strikes by the Russian Federation on civilians in Ukraine, residential buildings, civilian infrastructure, and our country's energy system, including substations of Ukrainian nuclear power plants," the spokesperson stated.
The ministry noted that just two days earlier, Russia launched a nine-hour combined missile-drone attack against Ukraine, killing and injuring civilians while leaving at least 500,000 Kyiv residents and over 100,000 Kyiv Oblast residents without electricity.
Contrasting responses highlight diplomatic tensions
The polarity of the two statements underscores Kazakhstan's delicate balancing act. While Astana calls the CPC attack "targeted" and demands "effective measures to prevent such incidents," Ukraine frames its strikes as defensive operations against "the aggressor's military-industrial potential."
Kyiv concluded by reaffirming "unwavering respect for the Kazakh people" and commitment to "friendly and pragmatic relations," while calling on "all parties to direct efforts toward forcing the aggressor to end the criminal war."
