That rhetoric changed as clashes between security forces and attacks on public buildings. On Friday morning he mocked calls for dialogue with what he called “bandits and terrorists” from Kazakhstan and overseas.
“The militants have not laid down their arms, they continue to commit crimes or are preparing for them,” Mr Tokayev, 68, said in a televised address on Friday.
“Whoever does not surrender will be destroyed. I have given the order to law enforcement agencies and the army to shoot to kill, without warning.”
Mr Tokayev did not provide evidence for his claim that the uprising had been preplanned by terrorists or organised from abroad.
Mukhtar Ablyazov, an exiled former banker and government minister who runs an opposition movement from France, has called for coordination of protests but has little sway inside the country. Most observers have described the demonstrations as spontaneous, ill coordinated and leaderless.
Troops from the Moscow-led Collective Security Treaty Organisation, which Mr Tokayev called on for support, on Wednesday night, began to fan out across the country.
Russia’s defence ministry said nine cargo planes carrying paratroopers and their equipment landed at Almaty airport on Friday, and said they would carry out “assigned tasks,” but did not give further details of their mission.
Moscow has not said exactly how many troops it is sending to Kazakhstan, although Russian media have reported the number is not expected to exceed 5000. The defence ministry said a 70-plane airlift was moving Russian forces in “around the clock”.
The Kremlin said Mr Putin had spoken to Mr Tokayev several times to discuss developments.