Sources at SOCAR told the Tribune that they viewed the talks with Hungary as a means of soothing European Union concerns that Budapest was significantly boosting shipments of Russian gas.

The latest assessments from U.S. and Ukrainian analysts say more than 100,000 Russian troops are deployed on the Ukrainian border.

The recent crisis in Kazakhstan took many by surprise. Long considered the most prosperous and stable in Central Asia, it now suddenly appears fragile and weak.