North Caucasus

“… [W]hat relation do the closest relatives of R.A. Kadyrov have to the imputed violations? … I am not going to comment on these trumped-up charges. Moreover, evidence and arguments are traditionally lacking.”

“No, Russia doesn’t have any territorial claims against its neighbors.”

Claims about WADA doping ban, Maria Butina's foreign agent plea, Zelimkhan Khangoshvili's killing in Berlin.

“He is a cruel and blood-thirsty person. In just one of the attacks in which he took part, he killed 98 people. He was one of the organizers of explosions in the Moscow metro.”

“In fact, only his compatriots could have dealt with him - both Russian Chechens and “Ichkeria” militants, hiding in Europe from criminal prosecution [in Russia].”

“Russia has no intention of becoming similar [to some other countries] imposing their stance by using illegitimate sanctions.”

“The U.S. claims that its armed forces are fighting terrorism and drug trafficking in that country (Afghanistan). But UN data says otherwise. Since the beginning of this year alone, around 400 civilians have died through the fault of the U.S. troops and the forces of official Kabul enlisted by them. That is significantly more than the deaths at the hands of the Taliban, to whom were attributed 227 victims.”

“Speaking of telephone justice in Russia, it used to be like that here. The current situation must be assessed in detail … If we study the percentage of verdicts and serious cases, we’ll discover that it’s not an accident that Russia has the lowest prison population in the entire history of our state, 400,000 people or something like that. America has the highest, by the way.”

“Everything was done to ensure that our guys, and in their person the entire Caucasus, were humiliated and trampled in the dirt. The result speaks for itself – look at the monstrously disproportionate punishment imposed on our fighters and that [imposed on] the swaggering Irish provocateur Conor McGregor.”

“I note that we’ve never, even in the days of tsarist Russia, killed people for dissent. This, by the way, is the great strength of our people.”

“We love and are proud of President Vladimir Putin, because he is a friend of Palestine and not only Palestine, but all the people who are seeking freedom. President Putin succeeded in restoring Russia’s authority in the international arena and forced all to respect Russia.”

“Several dozen people gathered on Friday in the center of the capital of Ingushetia, Magas; the situation in the city is calm, RIA Novosti’s correspondent reports.”