ASTANA, October 17. /TASS/. Russia's military strength is backed by history, and lies in its people, who support Russian President Vladimir Putin 100% in what he is doing, Kazakh President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev said at the plenary session of the Astana Think Tank Forum.

"As I said during my talks with German Chancellor Olaf Scholz, Russia is militarily invincible. This is confirmed by its military capabilities, by the population's support for Russian President Vladimir Putin's policies, and by history itself. Therefore, we deem it necessary to seek options for a peaceful settlement [of the Ukrainian conflict] and we support the pragmatic plans of all countries, including China and Brazil," the press office of the Kazakh president said, quoting Tokayev's words.

Peace, the Kazakh president went on, is the only option, not destroying each other. "There is no other way. The alternative is a war of mutual extermination. Perhaps some world powers want to see that, but this path leads to an abyss," he explained.

Tokayev noted that "striving for peace by means of constructive negotiations is a sign of strategic prudence, not a sign of weakness."