Kadyrov catches trends from Moscow on Ukrainian issue

The head of Chechnya had no information about the upcoming special operation in Ukraine, but he has perceived trends from the Kremlin, which dictated his statements on the Ukrainian issue, Alexei Malashenko and Dmitry Oreshkin, political analysts, believe. Ruslan Kutaev, an expert on the Caucasus, has suggested that Kadyrov could have spoken out at the direct instruction from Moscow.

The "Caucasian Knot" has reported that in December 2021, Ramzan Kadyrov stated that if he had been instructed, he would have long ago "attached Ukraine to Chechnya."

The Russia's special operation in Ukraine does not mean that the Kadyrov's call to invade the neighbouring country was heard in the Kremlin, said Ruslan Kutaev, the president of the Assembly of Caucasian Nations. "I assure you that he was not aware of Kremlin's plans. He simply voices out what comes to his mind or is downloaded from the Kremlin," Mr Kutaev believes.

For a long time, no one hid that an invasion of Ukraine was being prepared, said Alexei Malashenko, an expert on the Caucasus. He did not rule out that Chechen units would also take part in the special operation.

Dmitry Oreshkin, a political analyst, believes that the head of Chechnya had foreseen the Kremlin's actions. "Kadyrov is ahead of Putin in the information space ... He has established a military dictatorship in Chechnya; and Putin is moving in this direction," said Mr Oreshkin.