Chechen Head Ramzan Kadyrov has once again commented on the course of Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine, stating that peace can only be achieved if Ukraine becomes a region of Russia, adding that halting hostilities at this stage would be disadvantageous for Moscow.
In an interview with the state-run agency RIA Novosti, Kadyrov stressed that the goals and objectives of the operation were ‘not taken out of thin air’, emphasising that they were aimed at ensuring Russia’s security. In his view, peace on Russia’s borders is only possible when Ukraine becomes a region or district of Russia.
Kadyrov also noted that he does not support ending hostilities under the current conditions in the conflict zone.
The full interview with Kadyrov has not been published — RIA Novosti has been publishing excerpts from it since Saturday. One of these publications quotes Kadyrov’s doubts that US President Donald Trump is capable of proposing a solution to the war in Ukraine ‘that would suit Russia’.
In another excerpt, Kadyrov stated that Trump met with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Alaska only because Trump was Putin’s ‘long-time fan and admirer’ — allegedly, the negotiations were just a pretext to meet in-person.
Kadyrov regularly voices support for Russian military actions in Ukraine and publishes information about the activities of Chechen soldiers in the combat zone, particularly fighters from the Akhmat special unit.
In 2022, Kadyrov called for the destruction of Ukrainian cities in response to Ukrainian counterattacks. He stated that in the event of shelling by Ukraine, those cities should be wiped off the face of the earth so that they could not even consider attacking.
At the beginning of September, Ukraine’s Security Service (SBU) announced that some of Kadyrov’s statements violated the laws and customs of war applicable to armed conflicts under the Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court, and formally notified him that he was under suspicion of war crimes.
Putin has previously stated that Russia’s sole aim in the military operation is to defend its interests. He stressed that Russia is not seeking Ukraine’s capitulation but rather recognition of the ‘realities that have developed on the ground’.
Elizaveta Chukharova
