Russian President Vladimir Putin’s grip on power has been weakened following a short-lived revolt by mercenary forces. The march on Moscow by the Wagner troops led by Yevgeny Prigozhin severely dented Putin’s reputation as a leader who is willing to ruthlessly punish anyone who challenges his authority. The agreement that halted the revolt resulted in Russian government troops withdrawing from the streets of Moscow, with people flocking to parks and cafes on Sunday.
The deal was brokered by Belarusian President Aleksander Lukashenko, and under its terms, Prigozhin will go into exile in Belarus and will not face prosecution, nor will his forces. U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken described the weekend’s events as “extraordinary,” and suggested that it could open the door for others who are unhappy with Putin’s two-decade grip on power, especially after his ill-fated invasion of Ukraine.
The rebellion may have opened fissures in Putin’s façade, and it is too soon to tell exactly where they will go and when they will get there. The Russian infighting could create opportunities for the Ukrainian army, which is in the early stages of a counteroffensive to take back territory seized by Russian forces.
Prigozhin’s forces took control of two military hubs in southern Russia on Saturday and got within 200 kilometers of Moscow before retreating. The scene played into Putin’s fear of a popular uprising, with people cheering Wagner troops as they departed. By Sunday afternoon, the troops had withdrawn from the capital, and people swarmed the streets and flocked to cafes. Traffic returned to normal, and roadblocks and checkpoints were removed, but Red Square remained closed to visitors.
Anchors on state-controlled television stations cast the deal ending the crisis as a show of Putin’s wisdom and aired footage of Wagner troops retreating from Rostov-on-Don to the relief of local residents who feared a bloody battle for control of the city. However, the U.S.-based Institute for the Study of War warned that “the Kremlin now faces a deeply unstable equilibrium.”
Prigozhin had demanded the ouster of Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu, whom he criticized for his conduct of the war in Ukraine. The U.S. had intelligence that Prigozhin had been building up his forces near the border with Russia for some time, conflicting with his claim that the rebellion was a response to an attack on his camps in Ukraine on Friday by the Russian military. Prigozhin had refused to sign contracts with the Russian military by July 1, which may have been a motivation for the rebellion.
It remains unclear what the fissures opened by the 24-hour rebellion will mean for the war in Ukraine. However, some of the best forces fighting for Russia in Ukraine were pulled from the battlefield, including Prigozhin’s own Wagner troops and Chechen forces sent to stop them. The fate of Prigozhin-owned Wagner, in general, is also uncertain. The military contractor has deployed forces in several countries where they are believed to fight for Russian interests.
Original Story at apnews.com – 2023-06-25 16:47:00
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