Ramzan Kadyrov, the leader Chechnya, has backed away from recent comments he made about possibly stepping down, saying he now aims to break the record for holding the post of regional leader - 27 years, writes rferl.org.

Kadyrov wrote on Telegram late on September 5 that a statement he made two days earlier on his possible resignation was made “to check your opinion”.

On September 3, he wrote that after 15 years as a regional leader in Russia, “my time has come”.

However, in his latest Telegram post, Kadyrov wrote that he learned that an unnamed Russian politician served as a regional leader for 27 years, so he “decided to beat that record”.

“We will see if I can overtake that”, Kadyrov wrote, adding that he has “no right” to leave the post now.