Foreign Minister João Gomes Cravinho said on Wednesday that despite the “ambiguity” about events, it can already be said that “there is no cohesion” in Russia, following the uprising of the Wagner paramilitary group.
“It is clear that there is no coherence, it is clear that there is a situation of some fragmentation of power. That is the least that can be said, but we do not know exactly in what terms.” stressed the minister, as the episode should not be distracting and the European Union should remain focused on the essentials.
“The main thing is to continue to support Ukraine,” he defended, admitting that for now “there is no completely clear picture of what happened in Russia.”
“It may take some time, but that should not distract us from the essence. And the most important thing is to continue strong military support, strong political support for Ukraine, so that at the end of this process, Ukraine will determine what the peace terms are .” and not the aggressor,” he defended.
Pending “more clarity” about the weekend’s events, the minister admits his concern about the possible strengthening of the Wagner group’s military operations in Africa.
“It is always a concern that every place Wagner is in is a source of concern and if it strengthens his presence in Africa, this is something that should also get a response from the European Union in terms of more support to these countries so that they do not depend on Wagner”, he stressed, recalling that “Wagner plays a very damaging role in several countries, including in the Central African Republic, Mali and Burkina Faso”.
This Wednesday morning, Cravinho criticized the actions of Vladimir Putin, whom he accused of “sowing wind”, such as the war in Ukraine or the creation of the private paramilitary group Wagner. And: “he who sows wind will reap whirlwind.”
“President Putin sowed wind, he did it by promoting a private mercenary army, which proved capable of challenging the Russian armed forces. He also did it by illegally invading Ukraine”said João Gomes Cravinho.
Also at the entrance to the meeting, the head of European diplomacy, Josep Borrell, said that the weekend’s events are evidence of the fragility of the political system.
“The monster acts against its creator, the political system shows weaknesses and the military power gives way. This is a relevant consequence of the war in Ukraine. And the main conclusion is that the war waged by Putin and the monster that Putin created with the Wagner group, the monster is biting him now”he said, expressing concern that Russia is a power with an atomic arsenal.
“Everyone is aware of what is happening in Russia. It is important to understand that this affects Russian military power and its political system. And it is certainly not good to see a nuclear power like Russia in a phase of political instability could end up.” Borrell said, also considering that the uprising in Russia is bringing the war in Ukraine to a critical stage.
“It is more important than ever to continue to support Ukraine, because what happened this weekend shows that the wind against Ukraine is breaking Russian power and eroding its political system,” emphasized the head of European diplomacy.
Source: DN
