The formation of the Customs Union (CU) of Russia, Belarus and Kazakhstan, which in 20215 became the basis of the Eurasian Economic Union (EAEU), the first working integration initiative in the post-Soviet space, gave a chance to realize the economic advantages of the CU as a form of integration through simplified crossing of mutual borders of the Union countries. However, the subsequent events and processes did not allow to realize this potential in due measure. The article is devoted to the analysis of old and newly emerging barriers to the development of cross-border trade between Russia and Kazakhstan. Judgments and conclusions are based on the experience of the author’s personal trip as a trailer passen ger through the Karaozek border checkpoint in May 2018, as well as on materials from the Russian and Kazakh press and official websites. Among the conclusions is the statement of the unsatisfactory state of the border and road infrastructure as a serious obstacle to cross-border cooperation. Another problem is the imitation of the struggle for security, jeopardizing integration into the EAEU as the real basis of Russia’s security.