RUSSIAN PRESIDENT Vladimir Putin kissed the Quran on a trip to Chechnya as he tried to rally support for the war in Ukraine. A video has gone viral on social media showing Putin kissing the Quran.
Putin made the remarks while visiting the newly built Prophet Isa Mosque in the Chechen capital, Grozny. He was accompanied by the Chechen Republic’s leader, Ramzan Kadyrov, who played a key role in Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
In the video, Putin is seen being given a gold-plated Quran, kissing it and lifting it up, while Kadyrov stands beside him.
The Russian leader made his first trip to Chechnya in nearly 13 years amid a setback in the war in Ukraine, as Ukrainian forces resumed their advance into Russian territory around the Kursk region.
Putin was reportedly there to encourage Chechens to enlist in the Russian armed forces. He also reportedly visited a special forces academy where soldiers are trained before being deployed to Ukraine.
“We have been waiting for you for 13 years and I know that you have many problems, issues that you are dealing with on your own, including our republic,” Kadyrov told Putin as he welcomed him, as reported by The New Arab.
Kadyrov has led a pro-Russian government in Chechnya since 2007. The republic had previously tried to break away from Russian control, leading to wars in the 1990s and early 2000s. (Z-2)
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