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Whether he really wants to resign or just trying to get additional money from Moscow, the Kremlin rebuffed Chechen strongman Ramzan Kadyrov’s statement that he’s tired of the job and will be resigning at the end of his current five year term. Putin appointed Kadyrov after his father’s assassination and the son has ruled like the father, with an iron fist.
“A rebel turned gamekeeper, Kadyrov has been a central and controversial figure in the Caucasus, tasked by the Kremlin to keep peace in the region after two secessionist wars – a job he has done, but at a high cost in blood. Kadyrov runs a police state and is suspected of being behind multiple high-profile murders, including those of opposition leader Boris Nemtsov and journalist Anna Politkovskaya,” reported bneIntellinews.
Kadyrov has made these comments before, towards the end of a previous presidential term. It is somewhat of a pattern.
“There was a time when people like me were needed – to fight, to bring order…’Now we have order,'” Kadyrov made the comments during an interview with Rossia-1. He also stated that accusations against five Chechens in the murder of Boris Nemtsov were false, “I am more than certain that they have nothing to do with it…According to my information, these guys are totally innocent.”
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov was direct when responding to the news, “Ramzan Kadyrov has said many times that he is a rather consistent and resolute member of Russian President Vladimir Putin’s circle of allies. In this case, he plans to continue working as the country’s president orders him. He did not say any other thing, and we judge by this. Ramzan continues serving as the republic’s acting head,” reported Russian state news agency TASS.
