“ As an ethnic Ichkerian whose parents were killed by Russia during the Second Russo-Chechen War, I view the ongoing war somewhat differently than most Ukrainians do. For me, everything rests on the process that was the result of the collapse of the USSR, and the position of the West, which did not give any chance to conduct this collapse fairly, instead giving the excessive power of the Russian Federation as a new center of power in the post-Soviet space. For those who at least once had a relationship with the peoples living on the territory of the Russian Federation, it never looked as simple as the Western media wrote about it at the time. For the independent Ichkeria of the 1990s, having a real ally from among the states of the former USSR or the Western world would be an indescribable happiness, but the Ichkerians, unfortunately, did not have this ally. Ukrainian patriots helped Ichkeria as much as they could, there were friends from other countries as well, but no government at that time changed its attitude towards the Russian Federation for the bloody massacre unleashed in Ichkeria by federal troops. The authorities of the Russian Federation exposed my people to the whole world as terrorists and bandits, and this narrative still accompanies the idea of an Ichkerian in the minds of Russians. The world community simply did not know and did not believe that something could be done about it. The West believed that these aggressive attacks and chauvinistic scenarios from the Russian media are just a form of voter mobilization, some alternative mythology or just a childish conflict in the sandbox that can be smoothed over by giving both participants gingerbread. After the war against Georgia in 2008, US President Barack Obama even pressed the symbolic button to “reset” relations with the Russian Federation, which lasted until the capture of Crimea in 2014. Until the most full-scale invasion of the Russian Federation in 2022, the position of the countries of the Western world regarding the attitudes of the Russian authorities was a childish attempt to bury one’s head in the sand and close to not seeing the obvious and natural in the chain of aggressions and wars unleashed Russian leadership. The main reason why the West perceived it this way was the understandable reluctance of the Western consumer and politicians to go into details. The West was afraid of getting an uncontrolled situation in place of the largest state in the world, which could happen as a result of the disintegration of the Russian Federation in the 1990s. Nowadays, the West has already received this uncontrollable situation in a different form: now it simply does not know what to do next, and is waiting for the position of the Russian Federation to change, as the weather changes. We are in this situation because an understanding was not formed at the previous stage, which would be necessary for making fundamentally different decisions regarding the Russian Federation and a fundamentally different reaction from the powerful of this world. Despite all the difficulties, fatigue and bloody everyday life that Ukraine’s struggle for its freedom is full of, today it is Ukraine that has that support and that chance that neither Georgia nor Ichkeria had. In this context, draft law No. 11402 on the state policy of Ukraine towards the indigenous peoples of Russia, which will be considered by the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine in the near future, seems to me to be extremely relevant. According to this law, Ukraine considers indigenous colonized peoples as its allies in the cause of the collapse of Russia and will provide assistance to national liberation movements. Read also: “After the victory of Ukraine, the war with Russia will not end – Chechnya will rise, the Caucasus will rise.” A stormtrooper with Chechen roots from the 128th brigade This is the first stage of forming the Ukrainian position in the discussion about the future of the Russian Federation in the world. We all understand that the current regime in the Russian Federation is not eternal, and one day it will still fall or enter the stage of transformation. However, the future of our country and all the peoples of the former post-Soviet space, and the security of the entire world, depends only on how Ukraine and the world prepare for this moment. We need to lay the foundations so that the Russian authoritarian regime cannot be reassembled into a geopolitical monster after a series of new transformations and a pseudo-democratic stage, as was the case in Russia in the 1990s. In this discussion, Ukraine and the peoples of the former post-Soviet space have a special right to vote. Unlike Western politicians of the past, we saw the real Russia as it is, up close. No one knows better than us what modern Russia really is, and no one can tell the world about it better than us. Each of us dreams of victory over the enemy. And it was not relative, conditional or temporary, but absolute and irreversible. Irrevocable victory is laid not only by the heroism of the military, but also by politics that looks to the future and prepares others for the possible development of events. Whatever the situation on the battlefield and the results of this war, we need a long-term and serious conversation with the world about the future of the Russian Federation. Murad “Bankai” Amagov, commander of the Azov unit. Integration of the 12th special purpose brigade “Azov” of the National Guard of Ukraine”, — write: www.pravda.com.ua
For those who at least once had a relationship with the peoples living on the territory of the Russian Federation, it never looked as simple as the Western media wrote about it at the time. For the independent Ichkeria of the 1990s, having a real ally from among the states of the former USSR or the Western world would be an indescribable happiness, but the Ichkerians, unfortunately, did not have this ally. Ukrainian patriots helped Ichkeria as much as they could, there were friends from other countries as well, but no government at that time changed its attitude towards the Russian Federation for the bloody massacre unleashed in Ichkeria by federal troops. The authorities of the Russian Federation exposed my people to the whole world as terrorists and bandits, and this narrative still accompanies the idea of an Ichkerian in the minds of Russians.
The world community simply did not know and did not believe that something could be done about it. The West believed that these aggressive attacks and chauvinistic scenarios from the Russian media are just a form of voter mobilization, some alternative mythology or just a childish conflict in the sandbox that can be smoothed over by giving both participants gingerbread.
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After the war against Georgia in 2008, US President Barack Obama even pressed the symbolic button to “reset” relations with the Russian Federation, which lasted until the capture of Crimea in 2014. Until the most full-scale invasion of the Russian Federation in 2022, the position of the countries of the Western world regarding the attitudes of the Russian authorities was a childish attempt to bury one’s head in the sand and close to not seeing the obvious and natural in the chain of aggressions and wars unleashed Russian leadership.
The main reason why the West perceived it this way was the understandable reluctance of the Western consumer and politicians to go into details. The West was afraid of getting an uncontrolled situation in place of the largest state in the world, which could happen as a result of the disintegration of the Russian Federation in the 1990s. Nowadays, the West has already received this uncontrollable situation in a different form: now it simply does not know what to do next, and is waiting for the position of the Russian Federation to change, as the weather changes. We are in this situation because it is ahead at that stage, an understanding was not formed that would be necessary for making fundamentally different decisions regarding the Russian Federation and a fundamentally different reaction on the part of the world powers.
Despite all the difficulties, fatigue and bloody everyday life that Ukraine’s struggle for its freedom is full of, today it is Ukraine that has that support and that chance that neither Georgia nor Ichkeria had. In this context, draft law No. 11402 on the state policy of Ukraine towards the indigenous peoples of Russia, which will be considered by the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine in the near future, seems to me to be extremely relevant.
According to this law, Ukraine considers indigenous colonized peoples as its allies in the cause of the collapse of Russia and will provide assistance to national liberation movements.
Read also: “After the victory of Ukraine, the war with Russia will not end – Chechnya will rise, the Caucasus will rise.” An assault fighter with Chechen roots from the 128th brigade
This is the first stage of forming the Ukrainian position in the discussion about the future of the Russian Federation in the world. We all understand that the current regime in the Russian Federation is not eternal, and one day it will still fall or enter the stage of transformation. However, the future of our country and all the peoples of the former post-Soviet space, and the security of the entire world, depends only on how Ukraine and the world prepare for this moment.
We need to lay the foundations so that the Russian authoritarian regime cannot be reassembled into a geopolitical monster after a series of new transformations and a pseudo-democratic stage, as was the case in Russia in the 1990s. In this discussion, Ukraine and the peoples of the former post-Soviet space have a special right to vote. Unlike Western politicians of the past, we saw the real Russia as it is, up close. No one knows better than us what modern Russia really is, and no one can tell the world about it better than us.
Each of us dreams of victory over the enemy. And it was not relative, conditional or temporary, but absolute and irreversible. Irrevocable victory is laid not only by the heroism of the military, but also by politics that looks to the future and prepares others for the possible development of events. Whatever the situation on the battlefield and the results of this war, we need a long-term and serious conversation with the world about the future of the Russian Federation.
Murad “Bankay” Amagovcommander of the Azov unit. Integration of the 12th special purpose brigade “Azov” of the National Guard of Ukraine
A column is a type of material that reflects exclusively the point of view of the author. It does not claim objectivity and comprehensive coverage of the topic in question. The point of view of the editors of “Economic Pravda” and “Ukrainian Pravda” may not coincide with the author’s point of view. The editors are not responsible for the reliability and interpretation of the given information and perform exclusively the role of a carrier.