Putin offered impunity to his new Chechen allies who, back then, were represented by Ramzan’s father, Akhmad, effectively giving them free rein to murder Chechen militants who fought against Russian rule, and, more importantly, to crack down on anyone who supported the Chechen underground or even the idea of Chechen independence.

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February 12 – Pope Francis and Patriarch Kirill sign an Ecumenical Declaration in the first such meeting between leaders of the Catholic and Russian Orthodox Churches since their schism in 1054.

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Imputiny: How Moscow gave Ramzan Kadyrov a free hand in Chechnya but plans to rescind it after his death (novayagazeta.eu) The fifth and final part of the Novaya Europe series on how Chechnya’s future course is being plotted today. Who is pulling the strings and what might that future look like?

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