Vladimir Putin receives Ramzan Kadyrov, weakened Chechen leader: towards a transfer of power in Chechnya?

While his state of health raises many questions, the Chechen leader Ramzan Kadyrov was received by Vladimir Putin in the Kremlin. Presumed victim of poisoning last month, Kadyrov had fallen seriously ill and had been severely injured in the kidneys. In several images, the Chechen leader was seen with a puffy face and difficulty keeping his eyes open.

If his condition has improved slightly since then, he seems to have several following-effects of this possible poisoning. In the images published by the Kremlin communication service, we can see that Kadyrov is visibly very nervous. During the hearing, he struggled to articulate when reading a report on a piece of paper when it was written in large.

A week ago, the Russian president received, informally, his son Achmat. This suggests to observers of Russia that Putin is preparing the succession of his faithful ally. “It looks like some kind of preparation on the transfer of power in Chechnya”declares the Russian political scientist Tatiana Stanovaya who believes that it will be “of a smooth change of power that might take several years.”

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A risky transition

Indeed, according to the rules established in Chechnya, one must be at least 30 years old to become the head of state. However, Achmat Kadyrov will not celebrate his 18th birthday until November 8th. In theory, he should therefore wait 12 years before being able to officially regain power from his father. This is why the transition might take time. “Kadyrov senior will retire gradually and his son has time to gain experience to become head of state later”explained Stanovaya.

A risky option for such a long period: “During this period, many things can change, not only in Chechnya but also in Russia”concluded the Russian political scientist.

Ramzan Kadyrov also had to wait until he was 30 to lead Chechnya. The current leader of the republic had lost his father, who died in an attack in 2004 when he was only 28 years old. He therefore had to wait two years before officially taking power, even though he had been named the first replacement for the Head of State behind Foreign Minister Aloe Alchanov, who had ensured the transition.

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