Chechen leader explains why he backs Putin’s ‘military operation’ in Ukraine

Head of the Chechen Republic Ramzan Kadyrov speaks with Russian President Vladimir Putin at the Novo-Ogaryovo state residence outside Moscow. (File/AFP)
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Updated 15 March 2022
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Chechen leader explains why he backs Putin’s ‘military operation’ in Ukraine

  • Ramzan Kadyrov accuses US and NATO of “using our people in an attempt to destroy Russia”

GROZNY: Chechen President Ramzan Kadyrov has expressed support for Russian President Vladimir Putin’s signing of the independence documents of the Ukrainian provinces of Donetsk and Luhansk, as well as his launch of a “military operation” in Ukraine. 

He hailed Putin’s signing of the independence documents of Donetsk and Luhansk as a historic decision that will put an end to the bloodshed and violence that 4 million people have been subjected to in the two provinces for eight years.

In an opinion article for Arabic news website Al-Ain published on Tuesday, Kadyrov added that the Chechen people welcome citizens of the two independent and recognized republics of Donetsk and Luhansk.

The article also included his views on international events, why Chechen forces joined the conflict in Ukraine, and claims that there were Nazis in the country.

“It gives me great pain to face the fact that the brotherly and dear Ukrainian people find themselves, after several decades, in the same tragedy that we, only a short time ago, were able to overcome,“ Kadyrov wrote.

He added: “The Chechen people have experienced a whole arsenal of malicious and cunning actions of the West. We were engaged, without realizing, in an imaginary adventure that claimed the lives of hundreds of thousands of people. The West used our people in an attempt to destroy Russia.”

Kadyrov said that with Putin’s help the Chechen people “managed to repel the enemies of the country and the people and established a solid peace in the region.”

On Ukraine, Kadyrov said: “Since the 1940s, there was an organization of Ukrainian ultra-nationalists led by Stepan Bandera, and immediately after the collapse of the Soviet Union, their ideological followers, who had been there all this time, began to pursue an accelerated anti-Russian policy. Russophobia became a national idea, and at the same time, Ukraine continued to receive loans, energy sources at below-market prices and all kinds of concessions from Russia.”

He added: “The liberal West turned a blind eye to all this, and anti-Russian campaigns continued steadily and systematically, becoming more complex from year to year, as they were lauded by liberal Europe and the US. Ukrainian Nazis of various stripes, including those who were on the side of international terrorists, fought in Chechnya, and contributed to the killing of defenders of its honor and freedom.”

The Chechen leader referred to the secret document that he revealed last year and is kept in the British National Archives, saying: “This document is still classified as ‘secret’, but there is no secret that will not be revealed at some point. It turned out that this document is the minutes of a meeting between the heads of the foreign affairs agencies of the US, Britain and the Federal Republic of Germany, which was held in the German city of Bonn on March 6, 1991.”

He said that the released minutes “reveal a serious contradiction in the history that the West has long promoted. It turned out that NATO, the military alliance of the Western countries, during negotiations on the unification of the Federal Republic of Germany and the German Democratic Republic into a single German state, made a clear promise to the head of the Soviet state of NATO’s strategic military undertaking not to extend its influence to the countries of Eastern Europe on the other side of the Oder river.”

Kadyrov said that the US diplomat Raymond Seitz clearly stated: “We have made clear to the Soviet Union that we do not intend to reap any benefits from the withdrawal of Soviet forces from Eastern Europe, and NATO should not expand to the east, either officially or unofficially.”

He said that the same position was shared by the representative of the German Foreign Ministry, Jurgen Chrobog, who stated that “during the 2 + 4 negotiations (on Germany’s post-unification situation), we made it clear that NATO would not expand to the east. Thus, we cannot propose to Poland and others to join NATO.”

Kadyrov said that this promise was repeatedly violated by all the countries that took part in the meeting referred to in the protocol.

In his article, Kadyrov recounted events in Ukraine in recent years, beginning with the 2014 coup.

“In 2014, as a result of an unconstitutional armed coup (the so-called “Maidan”) with the support of the West, ultra-nationalists came to power. In the same year, real Nazi massacres began, riots broke out in Odessa in the city center, and in the same year, 2014, two regions of Ukraine (which are historically two Russian regions), the People’s Republics of Donetsk and Luhansk, opposed the authority of ultra-nationalists, and as a result of the referendum, the majority of the population voted in favor of independence.

“Since then, the continuous bombing of these areas has included shelling with missiles and bombs, which resulted in the deaths of about 13,000 people, according to the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe. Yet, the US and Europe looked indifferently at this ongoing humanitarian catastrophe.”

He added: “Throughout the years of war in the Donbas region, the Ukrainian army and ultra-nationalist battalions (Azov and Aidar), which are not actually under official authority, were supplied with weapons by the US and NATO countries. Ukraine was simply overflowing with Western weapons.

“For eight long years, such crimes against the residents of the Lugansk People’s Democratic Republic were committed by official Kyiv, and the government did not make a single attempt to stop the bullying of people they considered their own citizens.”

Kadyrov also referred to the issue of Ukrainian nuclear weapons and said: “Recently, officials in Ukraine, in general, have made explicit threats to produce nuclear weapons, and Volodymyr Zelensky announced plans to withdraw from the Budapest Memorandum that prevented Ukraine from acquiring nuclear weapons.

“These intentions are disclosed at a time when Ukraine has enough capabilities and means to make a so-called ‘dirty bomb,’ at least. In the event of the emergence of nuclear weapons in Ukraine, the time it takes for the missiles to reach Moscow is reduced to only about four minutes. During this time, it is impossible to ward off the attack.”

The Chechen president endorsed his Russian counterpart’s decision to launch a military operation in Ukraine, saying: “Because of these factors that pose a threat to the strategic security of our country, the Russian president took not only the completely natural and right decision but the only correct decision, the recognition of the People’s Republics of Luhansk and Donetsk, and the launch of a special military operation to remove the weapons of Ukraine and uproot Nazism from it. In this way, Russia prevented the inevitable strike that NATO planned to inflict on the Russian lands at the hands of Ukraine.”

He added: “Russia does not set itself the goal of occupying Ukraine. It is the people of Ukraine who will determine their destiny without the participation of neo-Nazis and in isolation from Western influence. Russia adheres to this policy all over the world, in relation to any state. It defends the rights of nations to self-determination.”


Philippines’ former leader Duterte seeks interim release from ICC

Updated 5 sec ago
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Philippines’ former leader Duterte seeks interim release from ICC

  • Duterte stands accused of crimes against humanity over his years-long campaign against drug users and dealers
  • International Criminal Court prosecutors have agreed not to oppose the request, according to the filing
MANILA: Former Philippine president Rodrigo Duterte’s defense team at the International Criminal Court has filed a motion for his interim release to an unnamed country, stating the prosecution would not object.
The 80-year-old stands accused of crimes against humanity over his years-long campaign against drug users and dealers that rights groups say killed thousands.
In a filing posted to the court’s website late Thursday, defense lawyers said the involved country – the name of which was redacted – had expressed its “principled agreement to receive Mr.Duterte onto its territory.”
ICC prosecutors have agreed not to oppose the request, according to the filing, which said discussions about an interim release had been under way since Duterte’s first court appearance at The Hague on March 14.
“The Prosecution has confirmed its non-opposition to interim release to (REDACTED) (REDACTED) State Party” as long as certain conditions were met, the filing reads.
An annex spelling out the conditions for Duterte’s release was not publicly available, but the defense team’s filing noted that the octogenarian posed no flight risk and cited humanitarian concerns around his age.
Lawyers representing relatives of those killed in Duterte’s drug war condemned the application for release, citing threats made against victims’ families, and saying they had legal avenues to oppose it.
“There is still a procedure within the ICC that requires the prosecution to comment and the ICC Pre Trial Chamber (PTC) to decide on the application for provisional release,” lawyer Neri Colmenares said in a statement.
In an interview with local radio, lawyer Kristina Conti said she believed it was “50-50” the former president would be released.
“I hope the (drug war) victims can weigh in but that would be difficult if (the release is based on) humanitarian grounds, and he is reportedly sick,” she said.
Duterte was arrested in Manila on March 11, flown to the Netherlands that same night and has been held at the ICC’s detention unit at Scheveningen Prison since.
ICC deputy prosecutor Mame Mandiaye Niang is currently overseeing the case against Duterte after Karim Khan stepped aside during an investigation into alleged sexual misconduct.
Requests for comment sent to the ICC prosecutor’s office were not immediately returned.

Prosecutors say Republican South Carolina lawmaker used ‘joebidennnn69’ to send child sex material

Updated 13 June 2025
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Prosecutors say Republican South Carolina lawmaker used ‘joebidennnn69’ to send child sex material

  • RJ May was arrested after a lengthy investigation and ordered by a federal judge to remain jailed until his trial
  • The three-term Republican helped create the Freedom Caucus, a group of the House’s most conservative members

COLUMBIA, South Carolina: A Republican member of the South Carolina House who prosecutors say used the screen name “joebidennnn69” has been arrested and charged with 10 counts of distributing sexual abuse material involving children.
RJ May was arrested at his Lexington County home after a lengthy investigation and was ordered Thursday by a federal judge to remain jailed until his trial.
The three-term Republican is accused of using “joebidennnn69” to exchange 220 different files of toddlers and young children involved in sex acts on the Kik social media network for about five days in spring 2024, according to court documents that graphically detailed the videos.
Each charge carries a five-to-20 year prison sentence upon conviction and prosecutors suggested May could spend over a decade in prison if found guilty.
The files were uploaded and downloaded using May’s home Wi-Fi network and his cellphone, prosecutors said. Some were hidden by the use of a private network but others were directly linked to his Internet addresses.
May says someone else could have used his Wi-Fi
At his arraignment, May’s lawyer suggested someone could have used the Wi-Fi password that was shown on a board behind a photo May’s wife may have posted online. Attorney Dayne Phillips also suggested investigators didn’t link each Kik message directly to May.
Prosecutors asked that May, 38, not be given bail because he lives at home with his wife and young children, and some of the files he is accused of sharing feature children of about the same age as his.
 

Statement of the South Carolina Freedom Caucus announcing that RJ May was expelled from the group last year. (X photo)

May investigated for paid sex in Colombia
Prosecutors said they also investigated whether May used a fake name to travel to Colombia three times after finding videos on his laptop of him allegedly having sex with three women. An agent from the Department of Homeland Security testified the women appeared to be underage and were paid. US agents have not been able to locate the women.
Prosecutors said May created a Facebook account with his fake name and his Internet history showed him switching between his real account and the fake one and even searching his primary opponent from the fake login.
Phillips, May’s lawyer, told the courtroom that no sexual images of toddlers or young children were found directly on his laptop or cellphone.
After spending the night in jail. May appeared in court Thursday in shorts and a T-shirt with his wrists and ankles in cuffs. After being ordered to stay in jail, he appeared to blow a kiss at his wife, who was at the hearing.
May’s political rise to the state House
After May’s election in 2020, he helped create the Freedom Caucus, a group of the House’s most conservative members who say mainstream House Republicans aren’t the true conservative heart of the GOP. He also helped the campaigns of Republicans running against GOP House incumbents.
“We as legislators have an obligation to insure that our children have no harm done to them,” May said in January 2024 on the House floor during a debate on transgender care for minors.
His son charmed the House in April 2021 when May brought him to visit for his third birthday and the boy practiced his parade wave around the chamber.
The Freedom Caucus released a statement Wednesday night saying they kicked May out of their group after his arrest.
May spent a quiet 2025 House session
Many of his onetime friends have distanced themselves from May as rumors of the investigation spread through the Statehouse. During the current session he could largely be seen at his corner desk in the back of the 124-seat chamber, mixing with very few colleagues.
The House Speaker suspended May from his seat after the indictment.
May’s lawyer suggested he could have been framed and asked the Homeland Security agent if she knew that May had a lot of political enemies.
“There are a fair amount of people who don’t like me either, Mr. Phillips,” agent Britton Lorenzen replied.


No. 2 US diplomat questions need for NATO in deleted social media post

Updated 13 June 2025
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No. 2 US diplomat questions need for NATO in deleted social media post

  • “NATO is still a solution in search of a problem,” Christopher Landau wrote in a social media thread
  • He was replying to a query by Matthew Whitaker, the US ambassador to NATO

WASHINGTON: The number two US diplomat questioned the need for NATO in a post on X — which he later deleted — as the alliance prepares for an annual summit expected to be dominated by a US demand for higher defense spending and Russia’s war on Ukraine.
Deputy Secretary of State Christopher Landau was replying to a social media thread by Matthew Whitaker, the US ambassador to NATO. Whitaker in his post said that what happened in the Indo-Pacific mattered for transatlantic security.
“He obviously didn’t get the memo our of our Deputies Committee meeting on this very issue,” Landau wrote at 6:56 p.m. on Wednesday, referring to Whitaker. “NATO is still a solution in search of a problem.”
It was not clear if Landau meant for his message to be public or if he intended to send Whitaker’s post to a third person.
“This was a casual, lighthearted remark intended for a brief, private exchange,” a State Department spokesperson said in emailed comments.
“The Deputy Secretary’s comment was in the context of his desire to improve NATO and ensure it remains focused on its mission,” the spokesperson said.
Landau’s post was later deleted. The Deputies Committee is subordinate to the National Security Council and composed of deputy secretaries of State, Defense and other agencies, according to the White House website.
The administration of former President Joe Biden had pushed the European allies to pay more attention to the threats in the Indo-Pacific, particularly from China, but the Trump administration has encouraged those allies to focus on their own security.
Landau’s post contrasts with views of most of NATO’s European members, who see Russia and its war on Ukraine as an existential threat, and the US-led alliance as their main means of defense.
His post came as NATO leaders prepare for a two-day summit in the Hague beginning on June 24, where they will consider US President Donald Trump’s demand that they boost defense spending to 5 percent of GDP.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky is expected to attend the meeting. Since Russia’s full-scale invasion in February 2022, he regularly has attended NATO summits, and alliance members have pledged billions in weapons and condemned Russia for an illegal war of conquest.
Trump has shifted US policy, partially accepting Moscow’s justifications for its full-scale invasion in February 2022 and disparaging Zelensky.
European allies have expressed concern about Trump’s commitment to the 32-member alliance and its support for Ukraine’s battle against Russia’s occupation forces.
 


US sees no immediate reason to ground Boeing 787 after Air India crash

Updated 13 June 2025
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US sees no immediate reason to ground Boeing 787 after Air India crash


WASHINGTON: US officials said on Thursday they have not seen any immediate safety data that would require halting Boeing 787 flights after a fatal Air India accident killed over 240 people.
Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy and Acting Federal Aviation Administration head Chris Rocheleau made the comments at a news conference and said they had seen videos of the crash in India.
Duffy said he had spoken to National Transportation Safety Board Chair Jennifer Homendy. An NTSB and FAA team, with support from Boeing and engine manufacturer GE Aerospace, was going to India, Duffy said.
“They have to get on the ground and take a look. But again right now it’d be way too premature,” Duffy said. “People are looking at videos and trying to assess what happened, which is never a strong, smart way to make decisions on what took place.”
Duffy said the FAA was reviewing information with Boeing and GE as part of the investigation into the crash. Duffy also emphasized the US government “will not hesitate to implement any safety recommendations that may arise. We will follow the facts and put safety first.” Rocheleau said, “As we proceed down this road with the investigation itself, if there’s any information that becomes available to us regarding any risk, we will mitigate those risks.” Duffy said the FAA is “prepared to send additional resources to get the data we need to ensure the safety of the flying public.”


North Korea’s Kim Jong Un lauds restored destroyer, says more to be built

Updated 13 June 2025
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North Korea’s Kim Jong Un lauds restored destroyer, says more to be built

SEOUL: North Korean leader Kim Jong Un attended on Thursday the launching ceremony of a warship that had been damaged upon its first attempt to launch, state media KCNA said on Friday.
Satellite images had shown ongoing repairs of the 5,000-ton destroyer that had partially capsized in May, after Kim called the accident a “criminal act” and ordered its restoration before a party meeting in June.
Kim said the restoration of the destroyer “had not delayed” North Korea’s attempts to enhance naval power, and said plans were in place “to build two more 5,000-ton destroyers next year,” KCNA said.
Kim called for the country to strengthen its maritime military presence in the Pacific Ocean in the face of what he said were provocations by the US and its allies, KCNA said.
“Soon, enemies will experience themselves how provocative and unpleasant it is to sit and watch the ships of an adversary run rampant on the fringes of sovereign waters,” Kim said in a speech at the ceremony, according to KCNA.
“I’m sure that in the near future, the routes of our battleships... will be opened on the Pacific Ocean toward the outposts of aggression.”