Vladimir Putin and Alexander Lukashenko each used speeches to the military to shed some light on the intentions of the then longtime ally of the Kremlin leader, Yevgeny Prigozhin. While the Russian autocrat admitted funding the Wagner group and praised the soldiers for “fighting a civil war,” the Belarusian autocrat took credit for ending the uprising, without conveying a sympathetic image of Putin. With the confirmed departure of the head of mercenaries to Belarus, neighboring countries are concerned.
The Russian president felt the need to communicate again the day after he denounced a “betrayal” and forgave her at the same time – something unheard of. In a rare open-air speech, Putin thanked the men gathered in the square in front of the Kremlin Cathedral for their role – “yes, you fought in the civil war” – and paid tribute to the 13 Air Force men who died as a result of the six helicopters. and were shot down from an airplane during the Wagner group’s “march for justice”.
In addition, the Russian leader took the opportunity to convey the message that Yevgeny Prigozhin – always without mentioning his name – did not have the support of the army or the population. “The people involved in the uprising saw that the army and the people were not behind them,” he said.
Later, during a meeting with the military, the president again attacked his creation – Prigozhin, saying that his finances would be examined. “I want everyone to know this: the support for the Wagner group was provided entirely by the state. I hope that during this work no one stole anything – or, shall we say, did not steal much – but we will certainly get to the bottom.”, assured. Earlier, he said, the insurgency leader received the equivalent of 922 million euros in military catering contracts last year, while the Russian government spent the same amount to fund the mercenaries.
The FSB had confirmed that Prigozhin and his men will not be prosecuted for the violence. At the same time, the Defense Ministry announced that the militias were preparing to hand over the group’s “heavy equipment” to the military, while the head of the National Guard said his corps urgently needed tanks and heavy weapons.
In Minsk, Lukashenko confirmed that Prigozhin – as agreed – had arrived in Belarus. Lukashenko called himself a successful mediator when he claimed to have convinced the former KGB agent to turn the man who became known as the chief on the one hand, and on the other that he agrees to put an end to the rebellion. “The situation got out of hand, then we thought it would be resolved, but it wasn’t. There are no heroes in this story,” he said in a veiled criticism of his Kremlin ally.
For the autocrat who has been at the head of the country since the end of the USSR, Prigozhin was increasingly shocked by the losses of men, who arrived in Rostov in a “semi-mad” state. “It was pressured and influenced by those who led the strike squads and who saw the killings,” he explained. About the mercenaries, he said that he offered an abandoned military base to settle.
“I understood that a difficult decision had been made: to destroy [Wagner]. I suggested to Putin not to hurry. I said let’s talk to Prigozhin and his commanders. A precarious peace is better than a war.” Alexander Lukashenko
The consequences of Prigozhin’s exile led Latvia and Lithuania to ask NATO for additional security measures on their eastern borders. Later, Poland, through President Andrzej Duda, joined the Baltic States. “These are very negative signals for us that we want to address the allies strongly,” he said.
What is being said about Putin
Half the world is trying to listen to the other about the repercussions of the uprising for Russia and its president. Putin’s biggest political opponent, the imprisoned Alexei Navalny, took to social media to spread the message that the biggest threat to his country is the current regime. “Putin’s regime is so dangerous to the country that even his inevitable death will create the threat of civil war,” he wrote. “It wasn’t the West or the opposition that shot down Russian helicopters over Russia… and that brought Russia to the brink of civil war. It was Putin himself who did that. Try to kill [o ministro da Defesa Sergei] Shoigu and anyone they wanted to kill,” he continued. He concluded, “Putin’s supporters are ready to start a war against anyone at any time. That is why it is extremely important to remember that any post-Putin transition must include free elections.”
In a press conference with her South African counterpart Naledi Pandor, the head of German diplomacy criticized the Russian regime. According to Annalena Baerbock, the uprising “makes it clear once again that Russia’s illegal war of aggression is not just an attack on Ukraine, but that President Putin is also destroying his own country.”
Hungary’s strongman, Viktor Orbán, has a very different opinion. Interviewed by Bild, Politico and Die Welt, the Magyar prime minister defended that the fact that the crisis – “an event of no great importance” – was “under control within 24 hours” is a “sign” that Putin is “strong”. The EU leader closest to the Kremlin, who again said Ukraine will not win the war, left more praise: “Putin is the president of Russia. If anyone speculates that he may fail or be replaced, then understand he not the people.”Russian and Russian power structures. Russia works differently. The structures are very stable. They are based on the army, the secret services and the police. It’s a military-minded country.”
The war continues and civilians have been killed again. Two Russian missiles were fired at Kramatorsk, the largest city in unoccupied Donetsk. A restaurant with dozens of people was hit: at least three people were killed, including a child, and 25 were injured. Already in the Zaporizia region, the village of Orikhiv and a village nearby, on the front line, were hit by Russian artillery. One man was killed and six residents were injured, three of them seriously.
Source: DN
