US should topple Chechen leader like it did with Maduro, says Ukraine’s Zelensky
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Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky (above) said the US operation to remove Venezuelan leader Nicolas Maduro showed that Washington had the power to influence Moscow if it really wished.
PHOTO: REUTERS
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- Zelensky urges the US to pressure Russia by removing Chechen leader Ramzan Kadyrov, similar to a purported operation involving Venezuelan leader Maduro.
- Zelensky argues removing Kadyrov would make Putin reconsider the Ukraine offensive, highlighting perceived US influence over Moscow with such actions.
- Zelensky claims Ukraine's partners, including the US, have not put enough pressure on the Kremlin and suggests targeting Putin like Maduro.
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KYIV - The United States should pressure Russia by “carrying out some sort of operation” to remove Chechen head Ramzan Kadyrov from power, just like it did with Venezuelan leader Nicolas Maduro, said Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky on Jan 7.
In comments to journalists, Mr Zelensky said the operation to remove Mr Maduro
US special forces snatched Mr Maduro and his wife from Caracas on Jan 3, shocking Washington’s allies and drawing condemnation from Venezuela’s partner, Moscow.
Mr Kadyrov, the leader of Russia’s Muslim-majority region of Chechnya since 2007, is one of Mr Putin’s most vocal supporters and has sent thousands of soldiers to fight in Ukraine.
“They need to put pressure on Russia. They have the tools, they know how. And when they really want to, they can find them,” Mr Zelensky said of the US.
“Here’s an example with Maduro. They carried out an operation... Everyone can see the result, the whole world can see. They did it promptly.
“Let them carry out some sort of operation with, what’s his name – Kadyrov.”
Hours after the US operation to capture Mr Maduro, Mr Zelensky had joked that Mr Putin himself should also be targeted.
“If you can do that with dictators, then the United States knows what to do next,” he said at a press conference in Kyiv at the weekend, laughing and smiling.
Ukraine, which has been battling a full-scale Russian invasion for almost four years, has long claimed that its partners, including the US, have not put enough pressure on the Kremlin to end the war.
Mr Kadyrov, who has ruled Chechnya with an iron fist for almost two decades, has consistently advocated for Moscow to use the most extreme options in Ukraine – even floating the idea of a nuclear strike. AFP
