Nobel delegation honors Kadyrov, Putin's close ally in Chechnya
A Nobel delegation has traveled to the capital of Chechnya, Grozny. And it's not just any delegation, but one from the Ludvig Nobel Foundation. It was specially established so that Russia could bestow such an honor on advocates of its propaganda. This time, the Russian Nobel landed directly in the hands of Ramzan Kadyrov, a close confidant and ally of Vladimir Putin.
7:37 AM EDT, August 10, 2024
The so-called Nobel delegation, in a lengthy speech, listed a series of Kadyrov's achievements and virtues, which led to his being chosen as the recipient of this award. Kadyrov was praised for his contributions to Chechnya. According to the "Nobel Committee," he contributed to its reconstruction and development.
It is an honor for us, for the Ludvig Nobel Foundation, the first Russian Nobel Prize, the first Nobel Prize in the world, to personally present you with this award. It is also an honor that in 2008, the laureate of the Ludvig Nobel Prize was the head of our state, Vladimir Putin.
Where there are Chechens, there is victory and courage. Chechens are very brave. We thank you for that, said the individual members of the "Russian Nobel" committee.
Among them was Irina Viner, a Russian gymnastics coach who was removed from the international gymnastics federation last year. Irina was also said to have introduced Putin to his alleged lover, gymnast Alina Kabaeva.
Read also: The EU goes after Kadyrov's mother. No mercy
Kadyrov has been appealing for a Nobel Prize for years, once for himself, once for Putin
Already in 2020, Ramzan Kadyrov declared on the international stage that the sanctions from the USA were unfair because he—contrary to the Americans—dealt with international terrorism. He then asserted that he should receive a Nobel Prize.
In March 2023, a year after the Russian aggression on Ukraine, Kadyrov not only condemned the arrest warrant for the Russian president but even declared that Putin should be nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize. According to the Chechen leader, the award was deserved because he "saved" children from Donbas.
He didn't have to wait long for a gesture of gratitude from the Russian leader. Literally a week later, he received the "Honored Human Rights Defender of the Chechen Republic" medal. The rationale for this recognition was highly dubious—Kadyrov was supposedly appreciated for his "outstanding contributions to the protection of constitutional rights and freedoms of citizens."
Ultimately, Kadyrov got the long-desired Nobel Prize. Although it was the Ludvig Nobel Prize and not the Alfred Nobel Prize, it seems that made no significant difference to him.