I believe that what the West and those inside Russia who do not side with Putin are seeing is only the beginning.

SIA CHECHENPRESS publishes interview of Minister for Foreign Affairs of ChRI Akhmed Zakayev for the "M3" regarding the situation in Russia and the Russian-British relations.

MЗ: As the presidential election approaches, Russia’s foreign policy is becoming increasingly aggressive, targeted at the nationalistic ‘patriots’ and sundry pro-Putin youth movements like Nashi (Our Side). How dangerous is this trend for the West – and for Russia?

Ahkmed Zakaev: The present regime in Russia represents more than just a few out-of-control thugs. It is an attempt to retaliate for all that has happened. It was entirely predictable, even though nobody saw it coming. The “Putinism” which has taken root in Russia is the old, familiar everyday Soviet fascism, if now in a less original guise. I recall Mr Anatoly Chubais gloating over the mass slaughter of Chechens in the winter of 1999-2000 and declaring that Russia’s Army was being reborn in Chechnya. He was absolutely right. The Chechens were the first to be on the receiving end of Russia’s rebirth. Later it was the turn of some of the oligarchs, of so-called democrats, human rights activists, journalists and others. It is beginning to dawn on certain groups in the West just what Mr Putin represents. Certainly, his fingerprints are all over London.

Don’t imagine that it gives me any pleasure to see that the Russia ‘reborn’ in Chechnya is no longer a problem only for Chechens. I believe that what the West and those inside Russia who do not side with Putin are seeing is only the beginning. Unfortunately things are going to get much worse.

MЗ: The British intelligence services have decided to scrutinise “Russian” London in order to identify FSB agents. How do you react to this?

Akhmed Zakaev: As someone with a considerable personal interest in this, I naturally welcome these measures. The way my friend and comrade-in-arms Alexander Litvinenko was murdered shows demonstrates that there really are many FSB agents in the United Kingdom. Quite apart from professional spies, any Russian businessman who shuttles between Moscow and London is a potential threat. In order to keep hold of his business he will have no option but to carry out whatever the Motherland orders. The bigger his business, the more eager he will be to serve.