“They are poor fellows, they are not to blame” Kadyrov offered to release captured Ukrainian Armed Forces soldiers for the lifting of sanctions against his family

The head of Chechnya, Ramzan Kadyrov, announced his readiness to release captured soldiers of the Armed Forces of Ukraine (AFU) in exchange for the lifting of sanctions against members of his family. He voiced his proposal at a gathering of security forces in Grozny in the presence of former UN inspector for monitoring the elimination of Iraqi weapons of mass destruction, Scott Ritter, who previously served in intelligence in the US Marine Corps.

Ibid. showed a video message from prisoners who ask to lift the “absurd sanctions that have no effect on anything” against the relatives of the politician, his horses and the plane. In the video, one of the former Ukrainian Armed Forces soldiers said that if Washington fulfills these conditions, then 20 Ukrainian soldiers will be able to return home.

Kadyrov noted that the Russian side treats captured soldiers well, because “they are poor fellows, they are not really to blame.” At the same time he paid Please note that his mother, daughters and nephews should also not be held responsible, since they “did not participate in political games.”

Kadyrov said he was proud of the EU sanctions against his daughters

Commenting on the restrictions imposed against his mother Aimani Kadyrova, the head of Chechnya said that he had ceased to be surprised by the “illogical sanctions decisions of the United States and the West.”

According to him, the whole world knows that she is engaged exclusively in charitable activities, and therefore Washington’s decision can only be regarded as a deliberate and cynical disregard for all ethical standards.

He also stated that the introduction of sanctions against his two daughters was another circumstance that united the Kadyrov family. “We’ll set a new record soon,” he noted.

Kadyrov was included in the Russian Book of Records

In 2022, the head of Chechnya was included in the Russian Book of Records as the person against whom the largest number of sanctions were imposed. The Book's editor-in-chief Stanislav Konenko presented the head of the region with a certificate at an event dedicated to Grozny City Day.

“We have received applications for records. We studied and came to a conclusion – the record “The largest number of personal sanctions restrictions imposed on a person in the world” with a result of 15 sanctions – I declare Ramzan Akhmatovich Kadyrov the record holder,” Konenko said.

Kadyrov, in turn, noted that he is on the sanctions list because he protects religion, traditions, customs and state security. “And there is nothing more important to me than this. That’s why I’m happy,” he concluded.

The politician also said that in terms of the number of sanctions he overtook the head of the DPRK Kim Jong-un, the President of Belarus Alexander Lukashenko and the Syrian leader Bashar al-Assad. According to him, at least 70 restrictions have been imposed on him since 2011.