Putin’s Mini-Armies: The Chechen Kadyrovites

Chechnya may soon become a larger player in the international field. Instead of over-focusing on Russia, the United States needs to keep an eye on Chechnya’s moves. Claims that Chechnya may again enter conflict against Russia have gained validity in the past decade. Kadyrov presents a present danger to Western interests and attention must be diverted to watching these smaller factions for exploitable signs of dissent against Russia. NATO and other international organizations should move to exploit potential divisions in the Russian system, like Chechnya and the Kadyrovites, without empowering Chechen fighters to commit additional human rights violations in Eurasia and around the world.