The United States government says the attempted mutiny of Wagner Group mercenaries against Russia is evidence of “a real crack” in President Vladimir Putin’s government.
US Secretary of State Antony Blinken said the Wagner raid led by Yevgeny Prigozhin over the weekend marked a challenge to Putin’s authority.
Blinken said it was too early to speculate on the impact of the uprising, whether it be on the Kremlin or the war in Ukraine.
But he described Wagner’s efforts as an “extraordinary” turn of events because Wagner, who should have been a close ally of Putin, had swiftly turned against Russia and threatened the center of power in the Kremlin.
“16 months ago Russian troops were on the ‘doorstep of Kyiv’, now they have to defend the capital Moscow, against Putin’s own army of mercenaries,” Blinken said.
According to him, Prigozhin’s actions show how deep the “failure” of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and how much power Putin’s grip, which seemed absolute in recent years, is now facing challenges from within.
After the Wagner Group uprising, Putin initially accused Prigozhin of treason and vowed harsh punishment.
But it turns out that Putin finally chose to release Prigozhin and let him go from Russia to Belarus.
Source : CNNIndonesia
