Ramzan Kadyrov is two-faced when it comes to public comments in Russian and in Chechen

The BBC’s Russian-language service published a video on Twitter comparing Chechen ruler Ramzan Kadyrov’s rhetoric when speaking in Russian and in Chechen. As you might have guessed, the strongman leader puts on kinder, gentler face for Russian TV crews. When yelling at his subordinates, however, the gloves come off.

Some examples: (1) in Russian, he calls himself a public servant, while in Chechen he calls himself the only authority on Earth; (2) talking about the border dispute with Ingushetia, in Russian he calls for a commission and negotiations, but in Chechen he threatens to expel any outsiders with land claims; (3) in Russian, he welcomes U.S. sanctions and the loss of his social media accounts, while in Chechen he complains bitterly about it; and (4) in Russian, he says he respects human rights, while in Chechen he says the law is meaningless.