On October 18, the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine adopted a resolution in which it declared the Chechen Republic of Ichkeria a territory “temporarily occupied by the Russian Federation” and condemned “the commission of genocide of the Chechen people.” 287 deputies voted for the adoption of the document.
Some media reported that the Verkhovna Rada allegedly recognized the sovereignty, that is, the independence of Ichkeria, but this is not so. The draft resolution recognizing the independence of Ichkeria, submitted to the Ukrainian parliament by deputies Alexey Goncharenko and Musa Magomedov, has not yet been considered.
Goncharenko also appealed to the United States and Europe to support this initiative. “Ichkeria must be free and independent from Russia. I believe this is an extremely important decision. Putin has been trying to enslave the Chechen people for a very long time, he put his Gauleiter Kadyrov in charge, and now he is forcing the Chechens to fight against the Ukrainians. This is a typical imperialist policy of Russia towards other nations,” he said.
The Rada's resolution condemning the genocide of the Chechen people found a warm response in the Chechen diaspora in Europe. Rallies and mass pickets took place in Strasbourg, Berlin, Warsaw, Vienna and Istanbul. The participants of the actions adopted resolutions with gratitude to the deputies of the Ukrainian parliament.
Earlier, the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine adopted a resolution “On supporting the right to self-determination of the peoples of the Russian Federation.” The document states that “the Russian Federation is committing genocide of enslaved peoples,” including using mobilization for this. Chechens, Ingush, Tatars, Bashkirs, Kalmyks, and Buryats are recognized as enslaved.
Ukraine also called on the international community to put pressure on Moscow to stop repression against leaders and participants of national liberation movements. Kyiv asks the UN, the European Parliament and NATO to assist enslaved peoples in realizing their right to self-determination.
