'Why not Kadyrov?' Zelensky quips on Chechen leader after US capture of Maduro
President Volodymyr Zelensky urged additional pressure from the United States on Jan. 7 to help achieve a peace deal in Ukraine in the coming months, jokingly evoking calls for Chechen leader Ramzan Kadyrov to suffer the same fate as captured Venezuelan leader Nicolas Maduro.
"(The Americans) must put pressure on Russia. They have the tools; they know how to do it. And when they really want to, they can find a way," Zelensky told reporters.
"Here is an example with Maduro, right? They carried out an operation... Everyone sees the result — the whole world. They did it quickly. Let them carry out some kind of operation with this — what’s his name — Kadyrov. With this murderer. Maybe then (Russian President) Putin will see it and think twice," Zelensky joked.
Zelensky's quip comes just days after the U.S. carried out a large-scale attack on Venezuela, an ally of Moscow, with the stated goals of effecting regime change and seizing control of the country's oil reserves. Venezuelan leader Nicolas Maduro and his wife were captured and brought to the U.S., where they have been indicted on narcoterrorism conspiracy and other charges.
Kadyrov, a ruthless strongman who has referred to himself as "Putin's foot soldier" has ruled the pro-Kremlin Chechen Republic since 2007. Under his leadership, the Chechnya has become known as one of the most dangerous parts of the world, infamous for forced disappearances, torture, and extrajudicial killings.
The U.S. and other Western allies have imposed sanctions against Kadyrov and his family over human rights abuses in Chechnya.
The comments come as U.S.-led peace talks continue to unfold despite increased tensions between Russia and the U.S., sharpened by Washington's military operation in Venezuela, Moscow's ally, and Russia's refusal to cease hostilities in Ukraine.
Zelensky said earlier in the day that peace "negotiations have reached a new milestone together with our European partners and, of course, the United States," sharing his belief that Russia’s full-scale war against Ukraine could be brought to an end in the first half of 2026.
