Tense relations between Russia and Kazakhstan

The relations between Russia and Kazakhstan are getting tenser. Meeting in June in St. Petersburg while they both attended an economic forum, Kazakh president Tokayev publically criticized Putin over his leadership and of sowing discord between their countries. It is worth noting that he did this while sitting next to the Russian president. The Kazakh president has previously rejected requests from Moscow to assist the Russian war in Ukraine and has moreover refused to recognize the occupied territories of Ukraine as either independent or Russian.