Ramzan Kadyrov: ‘I am a servant of Allah, an infantryman of Putin. We serve faithfully’

А.Krasnogorodskaya: Good evening, Ramzan Akhmatovich! Thank you for agreeing to talk to us, Russian news service. Defender of the Fatherland Day — one of the main and important holidays in our country. Whom would you call the main defender of the Fatherland?

R.Kadyrov: Good evening! I also salute you! Actually, in Russia, the most important and the only defender is our President, the commander-in-chief, because he is responsible for the protection of people and the state. He copes with his duty with dignity. I want to congratulate him with Day of a true defender.

А.Krasnogorodskaya: How do you usually celebrate this day?

R.Kadyrov: For us this day — 23 February — is also tragic, so we do not celebrate it. We have and had the true heroes, the defenders during the Great Patriotic War. No matter that they wanted us to present in the role of bandits — it will not work. We have always been patriots, defenders, and we are still. People started to talk about our heroes [Chechen – note of RNS] only after coming to power of our President.

А.Krasnogorodskaya: From Defender of the Fatherland Day — to patriotic feelings. Your last statement about the player of football club Lokomotiv. You said that Terek invited him. Was it made officially, maybe Lokomotiv has already replied?

R.Kadyrov: I believe that he [Dmitry Tarasov — note of RSN] did not violate anything. This man loves his President, love his country. He keeps it in the heart. He showed that athletes support him, the players support him, the artists, the people support our President. It was not only words, I agreed with the Terek management, with the club president Daudov, with the head coach. Tarasov is a real patriot, he is a good player, so I wanted to buy him with all the penalties that Lokomotiv declared. Today we received a reply that Lokomotiv don't want to transfer. They refused. But what can I do? I wanted to support him [Tarasov – note of RNS]. Today is a time when we should all in one voice say that we will protect our Homeland, together with our President.

No matter that they wanted us to present in the role of bandits — it will not work. We have always been patriots, defenders, and we are still.

А.Krasnogorodskaya: What could be this unifying force?

R.Kadyrov: We have strong President, the commander-in-chief, who carries out a wonderful, grat policy in the global community. His strategy, vision — many people in the world are trying to predict what moves he will do next. Unfortunately, Russia knows well what terrorism is: in the Chechen Republic tens of thousands of people were killed, our houses in Moscow and other regions were bombed. Thousands of people who are trained, professional fighters, they join the ranks of terrorists. American and European specialists train them. And it's not a project of one day, it is a serious work, which is carried out against our country. We had excellent relations with the Arab States, with Turkey we were connected economically due to projects at billions of dollars, we can even say that we were allies, they were economic, strong support for Russia. Erdogan should not do that [shoot down a Russian Su-24 — RSN], he was forced to, I think. Today, if Saudi Arabia will enter the territory of the Syrian state, Turkey will go, and other states, and the conflict can flare up further. In Donbass they wanted to use Russia, as well as in Georgia, but Putin used to go out of the situation… We are told — get on your knees, tell that you have no President, no flag, no Constitution, laws, come and do with us what you want. How can someone say that? Especially if we recall the historical events connected with the history of the Russian people, how can we say? And how can people who call themselves the opposition, can come out and talk with people? That is why we must unite against the enemy who tells us to die of hunger, against an enemy that imposed against Russia sanctions, brought the level of oil prices to a low level intentionally. Our enemies know that the main component of our budget is oil. Leningrad already survived the siege, and today the Russian Federation is being blocked slowly. I consider myself an infantryman, a patriot, and I can't help but tell the truth, I can't stand aside. All I'm saying, I can back up words with deeds, those people know who entrusted me to govern the region, who entrusted important issues. I will not fail, and we will win any fight. We with our President.

I consider myself an infantryman, a patriot, and I can't help but tell the truth, I can't stand aside.

А.Krasnogorodskaya: You say that we should follow out President. Yashin prepares the report that is to be published on 23 February. You are named as the main threat of the Russian Federation. He considers that all the forces of evil are concentrated in Chechnya, and they put all the blame on you, from cake of Kasyanov to Nemtsov. What can you say?

R.Kadyrov: It is elementary. I wouldn't like to call Yashin, he is it. Not he, not she — it. He is a liar. Yashin said that he came to Grozny and met with people. But the taxi driver from Ingushetia, who had driven him from the airport to Grozny, said that he took a photo and ran away.He didn't speak to anyone, to any one person. His report is a gossip from the Internet. What can Yashin write? Yes, indeed, for them I am a threat because I am ready to take on any responsibility to avoid chaos and mayhem in the Russian Federation. Kasyanov – a former Prime Minister, shame on him. Former chairman of the government is selling our country, our people. To whom? Our enemies. Kasyanov was the Prime Minister. What did he do? What are achievements? No matter how difficult it is today Russia, whatever problems are, how can you betray the idea of the state? What report will be [Yashin's – note of RNS], and what can he say against me? I've spent my whole life since I can remember serving the people. I do everything openly, I am not afraid of anything in this life, only God. If I break the law, I am ready to face the consequences.

А.Krasnogorodskaya: Ramzan Akhmatovich, Yashin says in this report that the Republic is mired in corruption. What about this, how do you stop it?

R.Kadyrov: We have the competent authorities to combat corruption. If we had had corruption of a scale which says Yashin, we wouldn't have built social facilities, would not have performed social commitments at such a difficult time, we wouldn't have the growth in agriculture, industry, investors wouldn't have invested. When we reveal the fact of theft, we're taking all the money back and invest in the Republic. We live well. But for this we work, we earn money day and night. <…> We restored the Russian Drama Theatre named after M. Y. Lermontov, theatre and concert hall. And you may count how much we have — all parameters lower than in Russia. But still they write: 'Our taxes [go to the Caucasus — note of RNS]. Dear, we also pay taxes, we are also taken oil, gas, we are also citizens of Russia. Chechnya is a territory of the Russian Federation, if there had been Kadyrov, Sidorov, Petrov — it doesn't matter, Russia should support their regions, as it does. Russia is a Federal state. The main component of the regions is Russian citizens. We returned Crimea — this is a great accomplishment, returned the Chechen Republic to Russia, it is a historical fact. People just stopped thinking, they believe information from social networks. Such stupid questions they ask, such statements that we are feeding Chechnya, stop feeding Chechnya, the Caucasus, let's separate them. Separate from whom? This is the basis, the backbone of Russia. If today to let the Caucasus, tomorrow they will capture Moscow. Smart people understand this, but mercenary fools, shaitans, they don't. Therefore, we must work to make them understand. They will.

А.Krasnogorodskaya: What is your attitude to democracy? Do you call yourself a democrat?

R.Kadyrov: I have been interested in this question for a long time. And I came to the conclusion that those democrats who get the Nobel prize, they kill millions of people… Look at Syria, Libya, Egypt, Ukraine, Georgia. They destroy entire countries and blatantly lie. Where is the democracy? If in France there is an explosion – everyone go at a peace march. Don't they kill people in Syria? Don't they destroy the government in Libya, didn't they kill Muslims in Egypt, didn't 2.5 million people die in Afghanistan? There are [in Afghanistan – note of RNS] hundreds of thousands of American troops. Why don't they end the war? They say, Kadyrov is not a democrat. They should give all the awards that they won to me, I'm more a democrat than they, a billion percent. They need to ask about democracy the people. I know what my people want, and I do not understand those people who disturb our peace. Those enemies who talk about me, they respect me more than themselves. The same Yashins and who else, they respect me more than themselves.

А.Krasnogorodskaya: What is your attitude to liberalism in general? Do you have questions to someone of representatives of Russian non-system opposition, or the phenomenon itself is not very successful?

R.Kadyrov: I don't understand them, they are not the opposition, neither systemic nor non-systemic — they are enemies. I understand opposition members who want something, who is worth something. For example, ParNas — the name itself I don't understand. They are schizophrenics, offended. How can we trust them anything? The real opposition wants something for the people, and these jackals do not know what they want. If I say the truth, the majority of the Russian population supports. Thank to the citizens of Russia, I can go to battle with them, I can live and build the future with them. I'm proud and happy, so I love my Homeland, Russia, I am ready to live and die for this country. It is comfortable to live in the Russian Federation for Muslims, and Allah tells us: if you are allowed to pray, build mosques, you have a duty to protect this country, to execute the instructions of the President. When I said that I was an infantryman of Putin, one wrote that I am an infantryman of Allah. I replied that I am a servant of Allah, and an infantryman of Putin, do not confuse. We serve faithfully.

А.Krasnogorodskaya: Thank you for your sincerity, for your answers and for taking the time!

Russian News Service (JSC INEWS). Photo: rusnovosti.ru