Does Kazakhstan face threat of armed conflict? Defense Ministry responds to WEF report

Tengrinews.kz - First Deputy Minister of Defense Sultan Kamaletdinov has addressed the question of whether Kazakhstan is at risk of armed conflict.
The World Economic Forum (WEF) recently published its Global Risks Report, outlining future threats for Kazakhstan and other countries. One of the potential risks mentioned in the report is armed conflict. During a briefing at the Mazhilis, journalists asked Kamaletdinov whether this risk is relevant to Kazakhstan.

"I can't speak for this organization [WEF]. They are free to express their views and make their own assessments. However, we do not share this opinion. We have our own perspective on the matter," the deputy minister stated.

Meanwhile, Defense Ministry spokesperson Ruslan Zhangulin emphasized that Kazakhstan remains in a constant state of combat readiness.

"We are continuously improving our preparedness. As for potential conflicts, we study all these scenarios carefully," he said.

The WEF report classifies armed conflicts—including interstate wars, internal conflicts, proxy wars, and coups—as one of the top ten global risks over the next two years.

"This geopolitical risk ranks as the primary concern for executives in 12 countries, including Armenia, Israel, Kazakhstan and Poland, and features among the top five risks in an additional 11 economies, such as Egypt and Saudi Arabia. Executives who prioritize this risk frequently cite a high perception of related risks, including biological, chemical, or nuclear weapons or hazards and geoeconomic confrontation," the report highlights.

Previously, Kazakhstan’s National Bank warned of signs of economic overheating. This statement came after the short-term economic indicator accelerated to 6.2% year-on-year in 2024. The central bank also noted that inflationary risks remain present. External factors include higher inflation in Russia, while domestic risks stem from ongoing price regulation reforms, the impact of the weakening tenge on prices, strong domestic demand amid fiscal stimulus, unanchored inflation expectations, and rising consumer lending.