Vladimir Putin warned former Soviet states, they could share the same fate as Ukraine if they defied Russia.
At the St Petersburg Economic Forum, the Russian President claimed that former Soviet state Kazakhstan was part of 'historic Russia'.
The President of Kazakhstan, Kassym-Jomart Tokayev attended the forum and was made aware of the thinly-veiled threat.
Tokayev had earlier described the pro-Russian regions of Donetsk and Luhansk in the Donbas as 'quasi-states territories'.
The Kremlin has accused Ukraine, Georgia and Kazakhstan of hosting US biological facilities.
