Zelenskyy says US could target Kadyrov to increase pressure on Putin to end war

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has said the United States could carry out a special operation against Chechen leader Ramzan Kadyrov as a means of increasing pressure on Russian President Vladimir Putin to end the war.

Speaking on the issue, Zelenskyy noted that Washington has the necessary tools to exert real pressure on Russia if Ukraine remains a top priority for the US.

“I think the Americans are productive. We have good results, but the pressure is not complete. They need to put pressure on Russia. They have the instruments and they can do it and when they really want to, they know how to find them. The main thing is that Ukraine remains a priority for them,” Zelenskyy said.

He stressed the importance of finding leverage to force Moscow to end the war, citing the recent example of Venezuela.

“Take the [Nicolás] Maduro example. They carried out an operation and the whole world saw the result. They did it quickly. Let them carry out some kind of operation against Kadyrov as well, against this killer. Maybe then Putin will see it and think carefully,” Zelenskyy stated.

On January 3, US Delta Force special operations units reportedly detained Venezuelan leader Maduro and removed him from the country.