[1/2]Russian President Vladimir Putin attends a gathering with Chechen leader Ramzan Kadyrov in Moscow, Russia, September 28, 2023. Sputnik/Mikhail Metzel/Pool through REUTERS Acquire Licensing Rights
Sept 28 (Reuters) – Chechen leader Ramzan Kadyrov mentioned he mentioned his area’s contribution to Russia’s battle effort in Ukraine at talks with President Vladimir Putin on Thursday that got here at a delicate second in relations between the 2 sides.
Kadyrov enjoys extensive leeway from Putin to run Chechnya ruthlessly as his private fiefdom, however he angered even pro-Kremlin hardliners this week by praising his 15-year-old son for beating up an ethnic Russian prisoner in Chechen custody.
Kadyrov posted on Telegram that he and Putin had talked a couple of vary of subjects together with the position of Chechen fighters in Ukraine. He added teasingly that “other issues” have been raised, and promised “more on this later.”
It was not clear if he was referring to the beating incident final month through which his son Adam kicked and punched a prisoner known as Nikita Zhuravel who’s accused of burning the Koran.
Kadyrov posted a video of the assault on Monday and mentioned he was pleased with his son for defending his Muslim faith.
The alleged Koran-burning didn’t happen in Chechnya however Russian investigators mentioned they transferred Zhuravel to Chechen custody as a result of Muslims there noticed themselves as victims of the incident.
The beating opened up Putin to accusations that he had handed over an ethnic Russian “to be devoured by the Chechens”, former Kremlin speechwriter Abbas Gallyamov, now a harsh Putin critic, mentioned this week. Even pro-Kremlin battle commentators described the episode as an outrage.
Rumours swirled this month that Kadyrov, 46, was severely unwell in hospital, however he laughed and flexed his biceps when requested about his well being by a Russian TV reporter.
Kadyrov has mused publicly about handing over energy in some unspecified time in the future and has raised the profile of his three teenaged sons, the eldest of whom was photographed with Putin within the Kremlin in March.
Ensuring stability in Chechnya is significant to Moscow, which has fought two brutal and expensive wars because the collapse of the Soviet Union to forestall it from breaking away.
Reporting by Mark Trevelyan
Editing by Alexandra Hudson
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