Akhmed Zakayev: Russian oil blinds West to Chechen issue

Akhmed Zakayev, an envoy of President of the Chechen Republic of Ichkeria Aslan Maskhadov, said on Thursday the West's growing appetite for Russian oil blinded it to the Kremlin's human rights abuses in Chechnya, Reuters reported. "The West is flirting with Putin and this of course is linked to its need for Russia's energy resources," Akhmed Zakayev said. "This is clearly pragmatism but in this case it is criminal pragmatism, in fact a form of racism. Chechnya is part of Europe but where else in Europe would the West allow such human rights abuses to go on for such a long time?"

Zakayev said Putin's victory in the 2004 presidential election, which is widely expected, would dash any hopes of peace in the near future. Putin has made the restoration of Russian rule in Chechnya a priority of his presidency. "As long as Putin is in power a peaceful resolution of the problem is impossible," Zakayev said in his speech at the Royal Institute of International Affairs in London. "I believe Russia and Chechnya are incapable of resolving this problem themselves, the West will have to mediate. But in order to have good relations with Putin, it seems to have decided to sacrifice the Chechen people."

He said the war had helped stoke nationalist and fascist movements in Russia, which could in time spill across the country's borders. "Fascist and nationalist groups are gaining ascendancy in Russia. This is far more dangerous than the mythical international terrorists Putin is fighting in Chechnya," Zakayev said, referring to the gains made by extreme right groups in Russia's recent parliament election.

If a political solution is not found soon, Europe will find itself inundated by Chechen refugees, Zakayev said. "But this is not the only thing. War is like fire - it has a tendency to spread," he said. "The conflict is already outside Chechen borders and in four years it will spread even further. It is in Russia's and the West's interest to stop it now."