Stay up to date with notifications from The Independent

Notifications can be managed in browser preferences.

Donald Trump has been made an honorary Russian Cossack

The President-elect's entire family has been invited to the ceremony

Matt Payton
Saturday 12 November 2016 11:12 EST
Comments
Russian Cossacks march during the Victory Day parade at Red Square in Moscow, Russia, May 9, 2015
Russian Cossacks march during the Victory Day parade at Red Square in Moscow, Russia, May 9, 2015 (Reuters)

Your support helps us to tell the story

From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.

At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.

The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.

Your support makes all the difference.

US President-elect Donald Trump has been made an honorary Russian Cossack.

In addition to his electoral victory being applauded on the floor of the Russian Duma, he has been welcomed into the Irbis Cossack group.

Mr Trump and his entire family have been invited to attend a welcoming ceremony involving an "unforgettable programme" of traditional activities, Moscow Times reported.

Russia: Cossacks Horse Ride to Berlin departs from Moscow

Irbis leader Ataman Andrey Polyakov said the ceremomy would allow the 45th US President to gain an insight into "the mysterious Russian soul".

The Irbis group, which is based around St Petersburg, grabbed international headlines by unveiling a bust of the Russian President in the garb of a Roman emperor, according to the Telegraph.

The group has also claimed to have sent 18 lorries of humanitarian supllies to Russian Cossack separatists fighting in eastern Ukraine.

Cossack communites are scattered across the Russia and Ukraine and have strong miltiary tradition – having fought in many of the major conflicts in the region over the past 500 years.

Such groups allied with the Kremlin have been used sporadically by President Vladimir Putin as paramilitary and police forces.

Most notably, Cossack militia were employed during the Sochi Winter Olympics in 2014.

Mr Putin's use of the militia was heavily criticised after they were seen using horse whips and tear gas to brutally disperse the band Pussy Riot as they protested at the sporting event.

Join our commenting forum

Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies

Comments

Thank you for registering

Please refresh the page or navigate to another page on the site to be automatically logged inPlease refresh your browser to be logged in