The head of the Chechen Republic has denied he was told to deliver an explosive statement in which he declared he would have invaded Ukraine a long time ago, if ordered to do so, and that Moscow should annex the country.
Speaking on Wednesday in a live broadcast on Instagram, Ramzan Kadyrov rejected claims made by a number of analysts that his remarks had been dictated Putin. On the contrary, he said, he had limited exchanges with the leadership of the country.
“I am not even part of the inner circle of the president and prime minister,” Kadyrov insisted. “Yes, I have connections … [but] no one has ever told me to make a statement about Ukraine or other states.”
He went on, explaining that he had spoken out because he believed “the fate and security of [Russia] is now in an extremely difficult situation.” Kadyrov registered his concern that the West was edging ever closer to the country’s borders, cautioning that “problems may arise at any time.”