An anti-Putin opposition without decolonization is an empire without Putin

An anti-Putin opposition without decolonization is an empire without Putin

(On the freedom that Russian oppositionists are willing to defend for themselves, but are not willing to recognize for others)

Dzhambulat Suleimanov,

a participant in the struggle for the independence of the Chechen Republic of Ichkeria in two Russian-Chechen wars, as well as in the confrontation with Putin’s puppet project of Kadyrov,

diplomat, special representative of the President of the Chechen Republic of Ichkeria Zelimkhan Yandarbiyev in Malaysia, head of the first permanent Chechen delegation to PACE, historian, linguist, political scientist, elected leader of the Chechen national liberation movement “United Force”

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There are things that cease to be surprising with time, but that doesn’t make them any less disgusting. One of them is the willingness of the absolute majority of representatives of the Russian anti-Putin opposition to talk about freedom, democracy, and European values, while simultaneously demonstrating arrogance and disdain for the peoples who for centuries were subjected to conquest, colonial subjugation, and forced retention within the Russian Empire, the Soviet Union, and then the Russian Federation.

Garry Kasparov, despite his seemingly encouraging public statements regarding national policy in Russia, was one of them. It turned out that he, too, views the decolonization agenda as a domestic issue of expanding the nominal powers of national republics. Kasparov’s supporters, however, posit that genuine political self-determination for peoples requires independence to be achieved through force or the inability of the metropolis to keep them within the empire. 

The rejection of the symbol of the Chechen struggle as a sign of the double standards of the Russian opposition

The story of Nafis Kashapov’s gift—a magazine dedicated to Dzhokhar Dudayev—deserves special attention. As can be seen in the video from the forum, it was not accepted, unlike the award received from representatives of Russian nationalist circles.

I don’t have all the circumstances of this episode and don’t intend to present assumptions about the motives of specific individuals as proven facts. But the organizers’ references to security protocol seem ridiculous and unconvincing compared to the photo of Kasparov embracing Kashapov just shortly before the forum.

The political meaning of the situation that has arisen is not limited to the question of physical acceptance of the gift.

The magazine about Dzhokhar Dudayev is more than just a printed publication. For many around the world, Dudayev’s name is associated with the restoration of Chechen national statehood, resistance to Russian domination, and the struggle for independence. 

https://tatar-toz.blogspot.com/2026/10/an-anti-putin-opposition-without.html

Full information can be found here: https://abn.org.ua/en/liberation-movements/an-anti-putin-opposition-without-decolonization-is-an-empire-without-putin/