Indigenous Russian peoples seek EU recognition in PACE push

Representatives of Russia's indigenous peoples are seeking European support for recognition, with Chechen leader Dzhambulat Suleymanov calling recent talks with EU politicians the biggest diplomatic success since Dzhokhar Dudayev. A new platform for colonized peoples may emerge at the winter session of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE). Suleymanov, head of the "United Force" movement and special representative of the Free Nations Group in PACE, hopes parliamentarians will soon vote on a resolution recognizing the Chechen Republic of Ichkeria. Deputies from five EU countries and Ukraine have already signed the resolution, which awaits broader voting. The movement argues that democracy in Russia is only possible after decolonization. The Free Nations Group also seeks full implementation of Resolution 2621, which would allow indigenous peoples to speak directly in European institutions rather than through Russian opposition. Chechen authorities in exile, led by Prime Minister Akhmed Zakayev, continue functioning abroad, while Chechen volunteer battalions currently fight alongside Ukraine against Russian forces.