President Vladimir Putin said Monday that he considers Chechen leader Ramzan Kadyrov effective, the Interfax news agency reported Monday.
“Thank you … to the first president of the republic, to the current leader. He works effectively,” Putin said at the All-Russia People's Front forum in the southern Russian city of Stavropol, according to Interfax.
Earlier this month, Kadyrov made headlines after he verbally attacked members of the Russian political opposition, calling them “jackals” and “enemies of the people.”
Kadyrov's statements immediately sparked outrage from public figures and human rights activists.
In response to criticism of Kadyrov, a mass rally in support of the Chechen leader was held on Jan. 22 in Grozny, the Chechen capital.
