Ukraine Monitor presents the latest news concerning internal and external matters of Ukraine – a unique country where the interests of the East and the West clash almost every day.
Date: 1 November 2022 Author: Grzegorz Kuczyński
Ukrainian Lawmakers Recognize Independence Of Chechen Republic Of Ichkeria
The Ukrainian parliament has declared Chechnya temporarily Russian-occupied land––a move that has little political significance but was a demonstrative effort, though. The Russian war is a sort of testing site for Chechen independence advocates and Kadyrov acolytes. Literally––Chechen battalions fight in Ukraine, siding with both Russian and Ukrainian forces.
Ukraine’s parliament voted on October 18 to declare the Chechen Republic of Ichkeria “temporarily Russian-occupied” land and condemn the genocide of the Chechen people. A total of 287 Ukrainian lawmakers adopted a resolution in the 450-seat Verkhovna Rada. The resolution referred to Chechnya as the Chechen Republic of Ichkeria that hints its government in exile, not recognized by the Kremlin. Ichkeria has its government in exile, whose leader is Akhmed Zakayev. In 1991 Chechnya announced its initial declaration of sovereignty. Moscow made continuous efforts to subjugate the republic by force. Russia subsequently unleashed two wars against it; the first, from 1994 to 1996, failed to break it, though the second, which started in 1999, proved more brutal and resulted in Russia’s illegal occupation of its territory. Ramzan Kadyrov came to power as the Chechen leader backed by the Kremlin. Ramzan Kadyrov has ruled the Caucasus republic through fear and terror. Kadyrov belongs to a circle of Putin’s most loyal associates. Thus he sent Chechen soldiers to the front line, calling for more drastic measures to be taken in Ukraine. Some Chechens critical of Putin and Kadyrov have joined the Ukrainian side against the Russian forces––some of them fought in Donbas in 2014–2015. They referred to themselves as the armed forces of the government of exile, seeking to start a war in Chechnya once Russian troops are defeated in Ukraine. The Ukrainian resolution is a clear signal that Chechnya is where the liberation war could break out. Seeking to prevent this from happening, Kadyrov thus sent his forces to Ukraine. His defeat could prompt failure for the Chechen warlord. If Putin is removed from power, those who might topple Kadyrov are both those Ichkeria independence militants and Moscow elites. Kadyrov has many enemies in Moscow, including Russia’s top military brass or Gazprom and Rosneft executives––all of whom lurk for an opportunity to remove the Chechen strongman from power.
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