The Revolt in Russia That Wasn’t

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The Revolt in Russia That Wasn’t

Russian President Vladimir Putin faced a challenge when Wagner Group owner, Yevgeny Prigozhin, ordered his mercenary troops to march on Moscow. However, the revolt quickly ended as Prigozhin reached a deal with the Kremlin to go into exile. Under the agreement, charges of armed rebellion against Prigozhin were dropped, and the Wagner fighters who participated in the uprising were not prosecuted. Putin's decision to let them go free raises concerns about his perceived weakness.

From the AP:

Putin had vowed earlier to punish those behind the armed uprising led by his onetime protege. In a televised speech to the nation, he called the rebellion a “betrayal” and “treason.”

In allowing Prigozhin and his forces to go free, Peskov said, Putin’s “highest goal” was “to avoid bloodshed and internal confrontation with unpredictable results.”

The risk for Putin is whether he will be seen as weak, analysts said.

“Putin has been diminished for all time by this affair,” former U.S. Ambassador to Ukraine John Herbst said on CNN.

The rebellion also revealed divisions and infighting within the Russian military. Prigozhin's motivations may have been influenced by the Russian Defense Ministry's demand that private companies sign contracts with it.

Ukrainians were buoyed by the infighting, as they saw as opportunity to take back some territories.

“These events will have been of great comfort to the Ukrainian government and the military,” said Ben Barry, senior fellow for land warfare at the International Institute for Strategic Studies. He said that even with a deal, Putin’s position has probably been weakened.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said late Saturday, shortly before Prigozhin announced his retreat, that the march exposed weakness in the Kremlin and “showed all Russian bandits, mercenaries, oligarchs” that it is easy to capture Russian cities “and, probably, arsenals.”

The Washington Examiner reported on former President Trump’s response, writing “The former president also wrote that President Joe Biden will address the situation of Russia in whatever way ‘President Xi of China wants him to do.’”

RELATED: What does Putin's standoff with Wagner mercenary group mean for Russia? (Fox News)

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