Blow for Putin as powerful ally asks to step down

Ramzan Kadyrov, the leader of Chechnya and a close ally of Vladimir Putin, has indicated he wants to step down from his post amid growing speculation about his health.

The 48-year-old has governed the southern Russian republic since 2007, when he was appointed by President Putin following the assassination of his father, Akhmad Kadyrov, three years earlier.

According to Novaya Gazeta Europe, Kadyrov is reportedly grooming his 17-year-old son, Adam, to succeed him.

"I’ve heard the rumors too. People write all sorts of things. On the contrary, I myself have asked to be relieved of my duties. A successor would have his own initiatives, his own vision. I hope my request will be supported," Kadyrov was quoted as saying by Chechnya Today.

Later, he clarified his comments on Telegram, emphasizing that only the Russian president has the authority to remove him from office.

"Yes, I can ask or suggest. But no matter how much I say or request, such a decision is made by only one person—our Supreme Commander-in-Chief, President of Russia Vladimir Vladimirovich Putin. I am a foot soldier! I am a team player. If there is an order, I follow it," he wrote.

(QG - Source: Newsweek — Picture : © Unsplash)