With the Chechen war over, Putin appointed Ramzan Kadyrov to lead the Caucasus region, eager to set up a controlled regime there. Putin now uses Kadyrov together with Prigozhin to keep a controlled conflict with the Defense Ministry and the FSB boiling. He hopes for the siloviki to win, to reduce risks by Kadyrov and Prigozhin, as Putin believes they have consolidated significant power and might threaten the regime. As the Chechen leader seems Putin’s most trusted ally, he is possible to give up his loyalty to Russian president if the latter is significantly weakened.
Ramzan Kadyrov has been President of Chechnya starting from 2007. Before that, he was the Prime Minister of the Chechen Government, and headed the Security Service of the Chechen President (his father, Akhmat Kadyrov, who was killed in an attack on 9 May 2004).
To assess Ramzan Kadyrov’s personality, we should consider his skills, values of his parents, as that influenced his motivation and character.
Speaking about his skills, we might argue he attracted a lot of attention to himself as a child. He sought to raise interest to himself, and that was not just his feature, but practicing the initial behavior pattern, as he demonstrates it now. From childhood, Kadyrov tested his mental skills and ability to lie for his own self-affirmation (he was always eager to deceit those who was older than him), and we may see that in his actions now. As the youngest son, he constantly sought to prove himself, to his father, first of all. Kadyrov lacked parents’ attention. He had to earn their love, therefore. It became his concept of life.
If to speak about his temperament, Kadyrov is a pronounced exstravert, on one hand, as hedemonstrates active life position, language speed, emotions, and energy in public. He gets energywhile talking to other people, he is quite communicative, and adapts fast. He has analytical mind. He can respond quickly and adjust to changing situation. With highly developed creative talent, he can perfectly fit into the role, he makes things right, keeps initiative, persists in some cases, shows ingenuity, which is senseless sometimes.
He is also a choleric, as he is unbalanced, tends to sharp emotional and mood swings.
Kadyrov has strong nerves but is short tempered, as his increased anxiety makes him eager to grab power and prestige. His desire to keep power might lead him to betrayal.
Excessive posting on social media is typical for his character accentuation. He shows ambition, constantly boasts, seeks to reiterate his importance and status everywhere. He is likely to act unpredictably to attract everybody’s attention, as he posts the fragments of interviews in places he has never visited. Constant threats, promises to realize his war plans arise from the failure of histroops, as he keeps idealizing them. He’s got a lot of imagination but hides his failures behind it. He is weak nonverbally (gestures, facial expressions, tone, and timbre of voice), that is why he says what he’s being told, even if he doesn’t think so.
Kadyrov has too much self-esteem, as he believes he is the smartest. If we pay attention to his public appearances, we’ll see he is not good even in Russian, his vocabulary is poor. He always shows his intellectual cretinism.
Following the death of his father, Akhmat Kadyrov, in an attack (with Putin’s involvement), Ramzan was up to his dirty business. Everybody of Chechen elite was eager to become president andfeatured the Kremlin’s support. That is why Ramzan had to dig up any possible dirt to bring to justiceby all Caucasian traditions. That was another opportunity for him to prove himself. With the Kremlin involved in his father’s death, we see there are no foundation values for him, as he sides with the killer. Why is it so? The matter is he is killer himself.
If we compare his main personality features with major fateful decisions he has made in his life and recently, – as for the war in Ukraine or attitude towards his people – there is certain essential direction and logic of political activity, as PR is the main purpose. If we recall Kadyrov’s oath to Putin «… of constant loyalty», that means Kadyrov believes Putin is like him, and he is the one to follow.That is why Kadyrov is not an individual, he is a dependent person who lacks critical thinking.
He disrespects people. He rules like authoritarian autocrat, as he does not trust his subordinates. As Chechen leader, he does not delegate the authority to the government, in fact, afraid he would be incompetent. He is a conflict person, and he is aggressive while in conflict, as anycriticism hurts him.
He can influence and embarrass people; he can make a person believe he did something he did never do. He demands constant commitment from his subordinates.
As a political leader, Ramzan has got opportunity to influence others but, simultaneously, Kremlin-Putin and his entourage manipulate him. That is why it is urgent to decide how deeply he is engaged by those who have lifted him to the top, and what are the boundaries of his independent political will. He makes political decisions under pressure by those who brought him to power.
Kadyrov’s political image was artificially created, as today he depends on the Kremlin not justpolitically but psychologically as well. His actions are predictable, as he lacks political will and status. Aside from that, his image is symbolic, as he embodies his ideology for many years.
He has charisma and demonstrates energy.
He is vulnerable, therefore, as the Kremlin fully controls his rule, he is Kremlin’s protégé, andhe was not elected by the Chechens.
Kadyrov respects only those who, as he believes, fit for his status and desired circle of contacts(to raise his profile and strengthen his position in the eyes of surrounding people). He disregards people of inferior status, can oppress them, and does not take them seriously. Slogans are a part of his informational and psychological influence on his people. He likes high-profilecases and visible actions, as he believes that promotes him as a person.
