President Putin's Latest Recognition of "Chechen Independence"

by Francis A. Boyle
Professor of International Law
Attorney of Record for the Chechen Republic of Ichkeria

27 June 2001

On 18 June 2001 Russian President Vladimir Putin conducted a press
conference before the world news media in which he publicly admitted once
again that the Russian Federation had "agreed" to the independence of
Chechnya as long ago as 1995:

Johnson's Russia List #5312

20 June 2001

davidjohnson@erols.com

*******

Interview with Russian President Vladimir Putin by various U.S. journalists
on 18 June in Moscow: "Vladimir Putin: 'The Special Services Are Doing Very
Little To Neutralize Real Threats. Full Text of Russian Federation President
V.V. Putin's Conversation With Leading U.S. Media's Bureau Chiefs"

Moscow Strana.ru

National Information Service WWW

Text in Russian 19 Jun 01

V. Putin: Good evening, Esteemed Ladies and Gentlemen!
....
You and I are very well aware of what has happened in the Caucasus over the
past decade. In 1995 Russia did not legally recognize but effectively agreed
to Chechen independence and left the area entirely. It dismantled all of its
organs of power and administration there, withdrew the Army, the police, the
Prosecutor's Office, and the courts. Absolutely everything was dismantled. I
have to tell you that this looked like a national humiliation, but Russia
did it in order to achieve reconciliation. Russia had encountered other
problems.
....
The Russian Federation is bound by President Putin's most recent Admission
against Interest as quoted above.

Notice, first of all, President Putin conceded that in 1995 the Russian
Federation had "agreed" to Chechen independence. This agreement "to
independence" was concluded between Russia and Chechnya as independent
nation states.

Second, notice President Putin officially admitted that Russia and Chechnya
had agreed to "Chechen independence." The governments of the world must take
President Putin at his word. The Chechen Republic of Ichkeria is an
independent nation state as repeatedly recognized by the Russian Federation
and its President Vladimir Putin himself. The governments of the world must
do no less.

Finally, under international law and practice, the existence of an
independent nation state is a question of fact. In the rest of his recent
Admission against Interest, President Putin expressly acknowledged that
Russia acted as a matter of fact upon its agreement with Chechnya on
"Chechen independence" in the following manner:

... and left the area entirely. It dismantled all of its organs of power and
administration there, withdrew the Army, the police, the Prosecutor's
Office, and the courts. Absolutely everything was dismantled. I have to tell
you that this looked like a national humiliation, ....

Notice here that Russia acted as a matter of fact in order to carry out its
agreement with Chechnya "to Chechen independence" by completely evacuating
from the independent nation state of Chechnya so that the Chechen People
could enjoy the freedom that they had originally proclaimed in 1991 pursuant
to the right of self-determination of peoples, and then successfully proved
on the field of battle with the Russian Federation from 1994 to 1996.

Thus, the Russian Federation has not only expressly recognized and agreed to
the independence of Chechnya, but has also acted accordingly, thus
confirming Russia's original intention of and agreement to "Chechen
independence." Therefore, with respect to the Russian Federation, the
Chechen Republic of Ichkeria has fulfilled both the Constitutive Test for
recognition as an independent nation state, as well as the Declaratory Test
for recognition as an independent nation state. For all of the
above-mentioned facts and reasons, the Chechen Republic of Ichkeria is an
independent nation state within the meaning and practice of public
international law.

Francis A. Boyle
Law Building
504 E. Pennsylvania Ave.
Champaign, IL 61820 USA
217-333-7954(voice)
217-244-1478(fax)
fboyle@law.uiuc.edu