U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken described the weekend’s events as “extraordinary,” recalling that 16 months ago Putin appeared poised to seize the capital of Ukraine and now he has had to defend Moscow from forces led by his onetime protege.
“I think we’ve seen more cracks emerge in the Russian façade,” Blinken said on NBC’s “Meet the Press.”
The Wagner forces’ largely unopposed, rapid advance also exposed vulnerabilities in Russia’s security and military forces. The mercenary soldiers were reported to have downed several helicopters and a military communications plane. The Defense Ministry has not commented. “Putin is much diminished and the Russian military, and this is significant as far as Ukraine is concerned,” said Lord Richard Dannatt, former chief of the general staff of the British armed forces. “... Prigozhin has left the stage to go to Belarus, but is that the end of Yevgeny Prigozhin and the Wagner Group?”
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said he told U.S. President Joe Biden in a phone call on Sunday that the aborted rebellion in Russia had “exposed the weakness of Putin’s regime.” Yet the rebellion fizzled quickly, in part because Prigozhin did not have the backing he apparently expected from Russian security services. The Federal Security Services immediately called for his arrest.
Rostov appeared calm Sunday morning, with only tank tracks on the roads as a reminder of the Wagner fighters.
United States Latest News, United States Headlines
Similar News:You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.
Rebellion in Russia reveals 'cracks' in Putin's regime, Secretary Blinken saysSecretary of State Antony Blinken said the clash in Russia exposed 'cracks' in the nation that 'weren't there before.'
Read more »
US Secretary of State Blinken says Russia turmoil could take months to play outThe unprecedented challenge to Russian President Vladimir Putin by Wagner fighters has exposed fresh 'cracks' in the strength of his leadership that may take weeks or months to play out, U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken said on Sunday.
Read more »
Russian mercenary chief says his forces are rebelling, some left Ukraine and entered Russia cityIn a sign of how seriously the Kremlin was taking the threat, riot police and the National Guard have been scrambled to tighten security at key facilities in Moscow, including government agencies and transport infrastructure, the state news agency Tass reported.
Read more »
Russia-Ukraine live updates: Putin briefed on 'armed rebellion' by Wagner GroupBREAKING: Vladimir Putin has been briefed on an 'attempted armed rebellion' as the Wagner Group leader says military facilities in Rostov-on-Don are under his control.
Read more »
Russia-Ukraine live updates: Wagner Group claims control of facilities in key Russian cityBREAKING: Russian President Vladimir Putin says moves taken by Wagner Group leader to bring his troops into a key Russian city amounted to a “stab in the back.'
Read more »
Wagner coup highlights Russia’s ‘chaos,’ Ukraine’s Volodymyr Zelensky saysUkrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky commented on the armed mutiny on Saturday.
Read more »