NPR News: 01-09-2024 12PM EST
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Day: January 9, 2024
Head of Chechnya Ramzan Kadyrov has announced that he is willing to offer 20 Ukrainian prisoners of war if US sanctions against his mother, adult daughters, minor children, and wife are lifted.
The offer was made on 6 January, during a visit to Chechnya by disgraced former US Marines intelligence officer Scott Ritter, to whom the head of Chechnya handed over a list of captured Ukrainian military personnel. Ritter, who is a convicted sex offender, frequently speaks in support of Russia, and appears in Russian state media.
Speaking at a rally of thousands of Chechen soldiers in Grozny, Kadyrov accused American and European politicians of having ‘no honour or dignity’, and vowed to continue to fight against America and the West until they changed their attitude towards Chechnya and ‘Muslims around the world’.
‘They could come up with sanctions for their own granddaughter’, said Kadyrov. ‘We are fighting those terrorist murderers who do not allow people to live in peace. […] We fight with dignity and set an example of tradition and customs.’
‘I have an interesting proposal for our guest — we have prisoners we took from Donetsk and Lugansk’, said Kadyrov.
He went on to suggest that if the US were to lift sanctions against his mother, daughters, children under 18, and his wife, he was willing to offer the prisoners in exchange.
‘All of them have absolutely nothing to do with politics’, wrote Kadyrov in a later Telegram post.
Kadyrov is known for appointing his family to political positions, with Ayshat Kadyrova, 25, currently serving as Chechnya’s deputy prime minister for social issues.
[Read more: Kadyrov’s daughter sole woman appointed to Chechen women’s rights council]
Kadyrov stated that he was making the proposal as he ‘knew in advance’ that ‘the lives of ordinary Ukrainians mean nothing to the US authorities’.
‘They are only interested in their own priorities, and that’s why I made the announcement, to show the true face of American politicians.’
However, in a Telegram post following his announcement, Kadyrov claimed that Scott Ritter had ‘correctly understood’ that his announcement was ‘trolling’.
‘Regarding the sanctions, they don’t interfere with our lives in any way’, added Kadyrov.
In September 2022, the US Treasury Department’s Office of Foreign Assets Control imposed sanctions on the head of Chechnya and close family members as ‘collaborators of Russian aggression in Ukraine’.
Close relatives of the leader are included in a list of ‘Specially Designated Nationals’ with whom US citizens and residents are prohibited from entering into business transactions. The list includes Kadyrov’s wife, Medni Kadyrova, daughters Aishat and Karina Kadyrov, cousin Turpal-Ali Ibragimov, and Fatima Khazuyeva and Aminat Akhmatova, who are also referred to as Kadyrov’s wives.
[Read more on OC Media: Kadyrov sanctioned by US Treasury ]
Kadyrov’s mother, Aymani Kadyrov, was sanctioned by the US in August 2023 for her role as president of the Akhmat Kadyrov Foundation, which the US accused of transferring children from Ukraine to military camps in Chechnya for ‘re-education’.
The post Kadyrov offers Ukrainian POWs in exchange for lifting US sanctions on family appeared first on OC Media.
Maldives President Mohamed Muizzu and First Lady Sajidha Mohamed arrived in China on Monday for a five-day state visit, during which they met with Chinese President Xi Jinping and other senior officials. The visit was aimed at enhancing trade, professional development, and socio-economic cooperation between the two countries.
On Tuesday, President Muizzu attended the Invest Maldives Forum in Fuzhou, the capital of Fujian province, where he delivered a keynote speech and interacted with local business leaders. He praised China as a “valued ally and integral collaborator” of the Maldives and invited Chinese investors to explore the opportunities in the island nation.
President Muizzu also visited the Xiamen Free Trade Zone, where he learned about the development of the zone and its role in the Belt and Road Initiative, a global infrastructure project championed by China. He expressed his interest in collaborating with China on the new vision for the Maldives’ central airport and the commercial port project, which he said were aligned with the BRI vision of land, ocean, air and digital connectivity.
The visit marked the first bilateral visit by President Muizzu since he assumed office in December 2023, following a landslide victory in the presidential election. He is regarded as “pro-China” by some observers, as he has expressed his support for the BRI and China’s role in the region.
President Joe Biden was interrupted by protesters calling for a ceasefire in the ongoing conflict between Israel and Hamas during his speech at Mother Emanuel AME Church in Charleston, South Carolina on Monday. The church was the site of a mass shooting by a white supremacist in 2015 that killed nine people.
Biden, who was campaigning for his re-election bid in 2024, was speaking about the importance of democracy and truth in America when a group of activists started chanting “ceasefire now” from the pews. The protesters were quickly escorted out by security as Biden’s supporters countered with “four more years”.
Biden acknowledged the protesters and said he understood their passion. He also said he had been quietly working with the Israeli government to reduce the violence and end the hostilities in Gaza. He did not explicitly call for a ceasefire, however, despite growing pressure from some members of his own party and the international community.
Biden’s visit to South Carolina, a key battleground state, came amid signs of weakening support among Black voters, who were crucial for his victory in 2020. A recent poll showed Biden’s approval rating among Black Americans dropping to 76%, down from 89% in January. Some Black leaders, such as Representative Jim Clyburn, have expressed concern about Biden’s ability to energize and mobilize the Black community in 2024.