19:15, 29 January 2026

Kadyrov voiced his desire to continue the SVO "to the end"

The head of Chechnya spoke out against negotiations with Ukraine, stating that he believes it is right to continue the special military operation "to the end."

As "Caucasian Knot" reported, in November 2022, the head of Chechnya identified two conditions for negotiations under which Russia could agree to end the military operation in Ukraine: Russian recognition of the "LPR, DPR, Zaporizhzhia, Kherson, Crimea, and Sevastopol" and the extradition of all war criminals. If any of them are not fulfilled, Ramzan Kadyrov threatened that he would personally be among the volunteers who will ensure their implementation.

On March 29, 2022, Vladimir Medinsky, commenting on the latest round of negotiations between Russia and Ukraine, stated that Kyiv had conveyed proposals for a peace treaty to Moscow, and Russia had also "formulated two major reciprocal steps," one of which was a gradual military de-escalation in the Kyiv and Chernihiv areas, and the second, the possibility of a meeting between the presidents of the two countries. Ramzan Kadyrov criticized Medinsky's statement. "We will not make any concessions. Mr. Medinsky made a mistake; he worded it incorrectly," Kadyrov said indignantly. Kadyrov, by criticizing the Russian delegation's position in the negotiations with Ukraine, is trying to curry favor with Putin, while simultaneously claiming to increase his own importance, political scientists interviewed by the "Caucasian Knot" indicated. What Kadyrov didn't like so much, how the presidential press secretary Dmitry Peskov responded to him, and what Medinsky's mistake was, is stated in the "Caucasian Knot" report "How Kadyrov quarreled with Peskov and Medinsky over Ukraine".

The head of Chechnya, Ramzan Kadyrov, arrived in the Kremlin today to participate in negotiations between Russian President Vladimir Putin and the President of the United Arab Emirates Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, the Grozny State Television and Radio Broadcasting Company reported.

In the Kremlin, Ramzan Kadyrov spoke about the negotiations with the Ukrainian side on the end of the special military operation. He expressed a desire to bring it "to the end", the Mayak radio station reports. "Negotiations after everything that's been done... I'm against negotiations," Kadyrov stated. A short video clip of the Chechen leader speaking with media representatives was attached to the statement.

On April 17, 2025, Ramzan Kadyrov was present in the Kremlin, along with other Russian officials, for talks between Russian President Vladimir Putin and Emir of Qatar Tamim Al Thani. Kadyrov did not disclose his role in the event, noting that the situation in Syria and the Gaza Strip, as well as energy cooperation, were discussed. "The talks that took place contributed to the further strengthening of relations between the Chechen Republic and the State of Qatar," he stated. Kadyrov acts as an informal intermediary in relations with Islamic states, but has little leeway in building personal relationships with Middle Eastern leaders, analysts noted.

However, Russian presidential press secretary Dmitry Peskov stated that consultations on Ukraine were not on the meeting's agenda. According to him, Peskov's talks focused primarily on bilateral relations, which are very broad.

Trilateral talks between Russia, Ukraine, and the United States were held in the UAE capital on January 23-24. Details were not disclosed, but both sides expressed positive opinions about the event. The dialogue is planned to resume in Abu Dhabi on February 1, Kommersant reported today.

Meanwhile, Putin stated that he appreciates the UAE's contribution to facilitating exchanges between Russia and Ukraine and contacts on the settlement, TASS reported.

It is worth noting that State Duma deputy from Chechnya Shamsail Saraliev regularly reports on prisoner and body exchanges with Ukraine, with the UAE often providing humanitarian mediation. The latest exchange, agreed upon by the parties during the negotiations, took place today. Russia handed over a thousand bodies to Ukraine and took back 38 dead soldiers, Saraliev told RBC.

In September 2022, Chechen leader Ramzan Kadyrov expressed dissatisfaction with the prisoner exchange organized by the Defense Ministry and the FSB. He assessed that the exchange took place on Ukraine's terms, and that the Chechen leader and active participants in the military operation were not consulted beforehand. However, on November 5, 2022, Kadyrov expressed satisfaction with the return of another group of prisoners. This time, Saraliev participated in the negotiations, the head of Chechnya noted.

In April 2023, Chechen leader Ramzan Kadyrov announced that five Chechen fighters had returned to Grozny from Ukrainian captivity. He did not meet with them and criticized them. Human rights activists and orientalists noted that in the Caucasus, captivity was not viewed as shameful or unacceptable, and that adat (traditional customs) do not regulate behavior in war zones, as they apply only to people's daily lives. By January 10, authorities and security forces reported at least 258 fighters from Chechnya killed in the military operation in Ukraine. The actual casualties among combatants from the North Caucasus may be significantly higher than officially acknowledged. This situation is characteristic of all regions of the North Caucasus Federal District, but is particularly acute in Chechnya. In February 2023, Ramzan Kadyrov called on regional leaders not to disclose the number of those killed. "I don't understand when regional leaders trumpet the number of those killed in the SVO. My question is: why? Don't manipulate the topic of our heroes, writing that so many died in this region, and so many in another," he said.

As a reminder, the head of Chechnya, his family members, and associates, as of August 2025, had received more than 150 awards. Ramzan Kadyrov has received at least 31 awards since the beginning of the military operation. His son, Adam, is second in the number of awards, and his daughter, Aishat, is third.

Translated automatically via Google translate from https://www.kavkaz-uzel.eu/articles/420347