re: Latest Updates: Russia-Ukraine Conflict

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Kadyrov is hated in Chechnya for his dad's role in switching sides the Chechen Wars and for his thuggish ways since and owes his power safety to Putin. He has no real prospects for rising within the Russian system. If Putin goes down, he does too.

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Well, in the right situation, he and Prigozhin could end up as kingmakers. That's why their recent alliance makes sense.

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SO Kadryov is the real power. He can take Putin out any time he wants to. Weird how someone as crafty and paranoid as Putin would put his life in someone's hands like that.

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I don't think this is correct Kadryov is just a Russian puppet and wouldn't be a thing without Putin. It has been speculated that a lot of his though talk was to satiate the Russian ultra nationalist right winners. He personally has no chance of coming to power in Russia.

He doesn't strike me as a rhodes scholar or a strategic grand master he's basically the Chechen version of a trust fund baby so who knows what he is thinking or planning, but he is nothing without Putin. I suppose it is possible someone jockying for Putin's job could have bought him off by making big promises in exchange for support. But he will never be more than basically what he is now. Russians would never accept a Chechen leader they look down on them.

(CAVEAT - I'm not some deeply sourced Chechen Russian geopolitics expert. The above is just the understanding i have from things I've read. Should be taken with a grain of salt)

Kadyrov has been useful at providing warm bodies to Wagner and the Russian military even though a small area. No way that Kadyrov flashes his wealth around that it comes from Chechnya. He is obviously paid handsomely for his support of Putin.

I doubt that he survives in Chechnya without Putin's active support.

I’m starting to see unverified reports that Wagner is getting annihilated in Bakhmut. Twitter LINK. When the dust settles we should have more reliable information. I certainly hope this is true.

That’s a real Whoopsy Daisy there, Pramilla.

And I assume accept responsibility means I accept responsibility but reject any and all consequences to myself from this moronic piece of political theater.

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NEW: Progressive Caucus Chair Pramila Jayapal says in a statement they're withdrawing their Ukraine letter. "The letter was drafted several months ago, but unfortunately was released by staff without vetting. As Chair of the Caucus, I accept responsibility for this."

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Calling for appeasement them wouldn't have been any better. And releasing the letter now is criminally bad staff work or outright sabotage.

Putin sold the world's biggest coking-coal deposit, in the Tuva, Siberia to Kadyrov for $150 million. At the time it was valued at $4 billion.

Source: Putin's People, by Catherine Belton.

Hahahaha! LINK

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A source familiar with the situation told POLITICO that Jayapal personally approved the letter’s release on Monday.

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I love that the staff went straight to Politico and told the truth. No one likes getting thrown under the bus, not the least by a blatant liar.

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this moronic piece of political theater.

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The most vocal anti-West voices since the invasion have been right-leaning “Putin is the savior of national socialism!” types.

But it was almost a matter of time before the left-leaning, anti-West “America foreign policy is ALWAYS evil!” types returned to the discussion to make fools of themselves by coming out against support for Ukraine.