Vladimir Putin and Nursultan Nazarbaev talked by phone today and Ukraine featured in the conversation, although both men also had other fish to fry (from RFE/RL's news desk):
Nazarbaev, Putin Discuss Ukrainian Crisis, Moscow-Ankara Standoff
Russian President Vladimir Putin and his Kazakh counterpart, Nursultan Nazarbaev, spoke on the phone on February 8.
The Kazakh presidential press service said the talks were focused on the “further implementation of the Minsk agreements" aimed at putting an end to the conflict in eastern Ukraine and "on the deterioration in Russian-Turkish relations."
It quoted Putin as reiterating that the tensions between Moscow and Ankara were caused by the Turkish side and therefore Turkey has to start fence-mending efforts.
The talks between Nazarbaev and Putin came two days after Turkish Prime Minister Ahmed Davutoglu met with the Kazakh president in Astana.
Turkey shot down a Russian bomber on the Syrian-Turkish border on November 24, resulting in a breakdown in relations between Moscow and Ankara.
Kazakhstan enjoys close ties with both countries.
With reporting by akorda.kz and Interfax
Here is today's map of the latest situation in the Donbas conflict zone, courtesy of the Ukrainian Defense Ministry (CLICK IMAGE TO ENLARGE):
