MOSCOW, 09 January 2022, (TON): Russia’s Foreign Ministry hit back at the United States after its Secretary of State Anthony Blinken ridiculed the deployment of Russian troops in Kazakhistan in the wake of massive anti-government protests.

According to media, Kazakhistan President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev made the request for assistance after protesters stormed the mayor's office in Kazakhstan's largest city, Almaty, and overran the city's airport.

However, Blinken, while addressing reporters at a State Department briefing, warned that "one lesson of recent history is that once Russians are in your house, it's sometimes very difficult to get them to leave".

Blinken said "it would seem to me that the Kazakh authorities and government certainly have the capacity to deal appropriately with protests to do so in a way that respects the rights of protesters while maintaining law and order.”

"So it's not clear why they feel the need for any outside assistance. So we're trying to learn more about it."

In a statement, Russia lambasted Blinken, saying he “tried to make a funny joke today about the tragic events in Kazakhstan”.