How would Ukraine have handled the Chechen War(s)?

[Pesigalam]

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Greater_Ukraine

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ukrainians_in_Kuban

Let's assuming for a second that the Ukrainian SSR was given control of the Caucasus territories during Soviet times so that when 1991 comes Chechnya is Ukraine's easternmost region. How would 1990s Ukraine handle the Chechen uprising? Would there be an ATL equivalent of the Second Chechen War?

 

[TinyTartar]

For one thing, Greater Ukraine seems very unlikely in opinion to happen.

But if it was to happen, I don't think that they'd have the resources to bring to bear on the insurgency that Russia had and therefore I think a political settlement would be likely to happen. Of course, if Kadyrov would have like OTL saw value in joining the state for his own local influences, I think Chechnya could have been handled.

If the locals however are fully against the Kiev government, Ukraine would not be able to handle the situation.

 

[Bakenellan]

Ukraine which could take and hold that much territory probably would have managed the Chechens one way or another. OTOH if it was holding Caucasus only because of Soviet legacy, Dudaev would have seceded from them in a blink of an eye. De facto if not de jure.
Still in 1990-s Ukrainian army was not much weaker then Russian though both were in a dismal state. The question is would they attempt to fight at all.

 

[Falecius]

Well, a Ukraine this big would be an emphatic irritant to Russia. Probably Moscow supports a Chechen revolt ITTL, as they did IOTL with South Ossetia and Abkhazia.