Chechen President and Moscow proxy Razman Kadyrov gave an interview to Kommersant. Here are a few of his choice statements.
Putin as President-for-life:
“Why can Kazakhstan have a president-for-life? Or Turkmenistan? Why can’t Russia have one too?”
“Putin gave the Chechen people a second life! Allah appointed him to his place.”
“I am not the FSB‘s or the Main Intelligence Department’s man, I am Putin’s man. His policies, his word, for me is law. We are traveling his road. Putin saved our people, he is a hero. He not only saved us, he saved Russia. How can we not bow down before him as a person? I never liked to say pretty words in front of anyone, but Putin is God’s gift, he gave us freedom.
On Putin’s successor:
“A successor is a successor, but Putin is a personality.”
Kadyrov on Kadyrov:
“A cult of personality? Maybe in the good sense of the word. If I am carrying out the policy of the center, and 94-95 percent of the populace supports that policy and they hang some pictures somewhere, that doesn’t mean that it is a cult of personality. It means the right policy. If they burned the portraits and tore them up, that would be bad. But you see that, even if they hang the portrait of Putin or Kadyrov in the forest, no one will touch it. “
“I, Ramzan Akhmadovich Kadyrov, am the way I am. I cannot be any different.”
On the Opposition and Criticism:
“No, I don’t see one. If there is, I welcome it. Opposition. What is that?”
“Well… I was among the people not long ago, and a woman said to me, “I used to hate you, but now I see your actions and I welcome you.”
Kadyrov in third person:
“[Malik Saidullaev] didn’t know Kadyrov’s real policy.”
“It was a historically important step when Kadyrov united the people.”
“Anyone will tell you that Kadyrov has authority, that he is respected, that he is a leader.”
