Chechen President Ramzan Kadyrov compared the referendums on joining Russia, which began in the republics of Donbass, Zaporizhia and Kherson, with the 2003 vote in Chechnya, after which the region flourished.

He noted: “I watched with interest and pride how the referendum on the future of these regions began in the Donetsk People’s Republic, as well as in the Lugansk People’s Republic, in Zaporozhye and Kherson regions.”

In a statement on social media, he said: “This is a long-awaited event. We remember how the Chechens in the early 2000s were waiting for a referendum to end the bloodshed, to become full citizens of Russia, and this is what happened. For everyone who wants to see how our the region prospered after this important event, after the referendum we have peace, we started to live, not fight for survival, build cities, and now we live in complete security.”

The President of Chechnya congratulated Denis Pushlin and Leonid Bashnik, Presidents of the People’s Republics of Donetsk and Lugansk regions, on “an important and responsible event in the lives of several million people”, adding: “I am sure that the people of Donbass, Zaporozhye and Kherson will make the same right choice for their future. Russia does not abandon its people and will do everything possible to make its citizens feel safe.”