ABSTRACT
The emergence of an autocratic leader in post-conflict Chechnya, traditionally structured on polycentric elites from clans and regions, has been just one outcome of Vladimir Putin's ‘Chechenisation’ policy. The deal struck between Putin and Ramzan Kadyrov, leaders of their respective dualist states, effectively marginalised the opposition in Chechnya and the Chechen diaspora in Russia and abroad, as well as international organisations seeking a just and lasting peace. An examination of Ramzan Kadyrov's strategies and tactics in deflecting international pressure, controlling the respective Chechen elites by co-opting or neutralising them, and the emergence of a domestic elite based on personal loyalty, forms the basis of this analysis.
