North Caucasus
Saturday 19 August 2017
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Ramzan Kadyrov
Head of Chechnya
“America is carrying out policies against Russia, against the nation’s leadership. They know I am one of those ready to give my life for Russia, and that I have a good army capable of attacking and defending. We will see who comes out on top.”
Read more...Chechnya’s Kremlin-appointed head threatened the U.S. with his “army.” His claims are baseless: by military standards, Chechnya has no army. -
Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Russia
“The sanctions imposed on Russia were a response to our country conducting an independent foreign policy, as well as a kind of punishment for the people of Crimea fulfilling their legitimate right to self-determination and right to freedom of expression enshrined in the foundational international documents on human rights.”
Read more...Russia’s Foreign Ministry says the sanctions imposed by more than 30 countries after Russia annexed Crimea from Ukraine were a response to Moscow’s “independent foreign policy” and "punishment" for Crimeans voting to join Russia in a 2014 referendum. Experts strongly disagree. -
Ramzan Kadyrov
Head of Chechnya
“The problem with terrorism had been resolved.”
Read more...The Kremlin-appointed head of Chechnya, Ramzan Kadyrov, bragged about his achievements in defeating terrorism during a televised address. That same night, federal authorities reported that six men carried out a suicide attack on a Russian military base in Chechnya. The Islamic State group (IS) claimed responsibility for the raid. -
Ramzan Kadyrov
head of the Chechen Republic in Russia’s restive North Caucasus region
"We are not poor."
Read more...Ramzan Kadyrov, the Kremlin-backed leader of Chechnya, says the war-scarred region he rules in Russia’s restive North Caucasus region is “not poor.” But in terms of gross regional product it remains last among all of Russia’s regions -- excluding Ukrainian territory annexed by the Kremlin in 2014. And it lives largely off of federal subsidies from Moscow.