I wouldn’t say it’s over. Prigozhin had released another video still accusatory of the Russian military machine. Im sure he understands how little he can trust Putin.
In an 11-minute audio statement, Yevgeny Prigozhin said he acted "to prevent the destruction of the Wagner private military company" and in response to an attack on a Wagner camp that killed some 30 fighters.
He also mocked the Russian military for failing to protect the country, pointing out security breaches that allowed Wagner to march 780 kilometers (500 miles) without facing resistance and block all military units on its way.
Andrei Gurulev, a retired general and current lawmaker who has rowed with the mercenary leader, said Prigozhin and his right-hand man Dmitry Utkin deserve "a bullet in the head."
A bullet to the head is most likely what will happen if Putin ever captures Prigozhin somehow. His office in St. Petersburg has been raided finding millions in rubles that was meant to pay the Wagner groups families. Prigozhin is very wealthy but access to his wealth might be difficult if it’s tied up in Russian controlled banks.
No one has made Putin look as weak as Prigozhin with his March and his criticism of everything wrong with the Russian military brass, but the uninterrupted March to Moscow exposed Putins fear of Prigozhin by not attempting to stop him and exposed his weaknesses in making decisions when caught flat footed.
Putin will never live this down unless he takes out Prigozhin, but with his army loyal to him that’s next to impossible.
Wow there’s just to much to say about this except it’s a good thing for Ukraine. Russian soldiers had to be pulled from front line positions in Ukraine to protect Moscow, or be there to protect it. Who knows how many Russian troops would’ve turned tail and run-or joined in Prigozhin’s army, Prigozhin’s recruiting offices are still open and maybe still recruiting.
This isn’t the last of Prigozhin, he’s not going quietly into that good night.
Great take. I broadly agree. Prigozhin almost certainly realizes he's a dead man walking, so it will be interesting what he does to protect himself. It may be that he goes again, this time all the way.
I believe it’s either go all the way as you say, or forfeit his life. He’s not in a good position and he knows it. Like is noted-no one criticizes Putin and lives to Bragg about it. Putin has had people assassinated for far less years after thinking they were safe. Reporters, defectors, anyone going against the Russian giant that’s beginning to look like a fiction.
What concerns me though is if there’s a coop at the Kremlin, who is ready to step in? Who is level headed enough to have control of the nuclear arsenal? Well, Putins not and hasn’t been a responsible leader so compared to him...
There must be already people waiting in the wings for the right moment to take over and if so they’ll never have a better chance than now. Russia was once on its way to “more,” but Putin turned it back with his Stalinist, Soviet goals. Maybe I’m being naive, but anything’s possible at this point.
You write, "We also know that he lost his nerve when dealing with a potential coup — he didn’t escalate, he negotiated. Putin has continued to threaten the West with severe escalation if they continue funding and arming Ukraine — escalation we know to mean nuclear weapons. This should now be seen definitively as bluster. Putin isn’t going to use nuclear weapons, so we can continue doing everything we can to ensure a Ukrainian victory."
There's an old saying, if you're losing in a high stakes card game, kick over the table.
If Putin sees his life as being on the line, what is his incentive to not kick over the table? That is, radically escalate.
Putin didn't escalate in the recent "rebellion" because bombing his own troops would have been stupid indeed. Instead, he resolved the incident peacefully in a single day, because that was the smart move. He told the Wagner team whatever they wanted to hear to get them to stand down, and will settle scores later when the world isn't watching.
I wouldn’t say it’s over. Prigozhin had released another video still accusatory of the Russian military machine. Im sure he understands how little he can trust Putin.
PBS.org
In an 11-minute audio statement, Yevgeny Prigozhin said he acted "to prevent the destruction of the Wagner private military company" and in response to an attack on a Wagner camp that killed some 30 fighters.
He also mocked the Russian military for failing to protect the country, pointing out security breaches that allowed Wagner to march 780 kilometers (500 miles) without facing resistance and block all military units on its way.
Andrei Gurulev, a retired general and current lawmaker who has rowed with the mercenary leader, said Prigozhin and his right-hand man Dmitry Utkin deserve "a bullet in the head."
A bullet to the head is most likely what will happen if Putin ever captures Prigozhin somehow. His office in St. Petersburg has been raided finding millions in rubles that was meant to pay the Wagner groups families. Prigozhin is very wealthy but access to his wealth might be difficult if it’s tied up in Russian controlled banks.
No one has made Putin look as weak as Prigozhin with his March and his criticism of everything wrong with the Russian military brass, but the uninterrupted March to Moscow exposed Putins fear of Prigozhin by not attempting to stop him and exposed his weaknesses in making decisions when caught flat footed.
Putin will never live this down unless he takes out Prigozhin, but with his army loyal to him that’s next to impossible.
Wow there’s just to much to say about this except it’s a good thing for Ukraine. Russian soldiers had to be pulled from front line positions in Ukraine to protect Moscow, or be there to protect it. Who knows how many Russian troops would’ve turned tail and run-or joined in Prigozhin’s army, Prigozhin’s recruiting offices are still open and maybe still recruiting.
This isn’t the last of Prigozhin, he’s not going quietly into that good night.
Great take. I broadly agree. Prigozhin almost certainly realizes he's a dead man walking, so it will be interesting what he does to protect himself. It may be that he goes again, this time all the way.
I believe it’s either go all the way as you say, or forfeit his life. He’s not in a good position and he knows it. Like is noted-no one criticizes Putin and lives to Bragg about it. Putin has had people assassinated for far less years after thinking they were safe. Reporters, defectors, anyone going against the Russian giant that’s beginning to look like a fiction.
What concerns me though is if there’s a coop at the Kremlin, who is ready to step in? Who is level headed enough to have control of the nuclear arsenal? Well, Putins not and hasn’t been a responsible leader so compared to him...
There must be already people waiting in the wings for the right moment to take over and if so they’ll never have a better chance than now. Russia was once on its way to “more,” but Putin turned it back with his Stalinist, Soviet goals. Maybe I’m being naive, but anything’s possible at this point.
You write, "We also know that he lost his nerve when dealing with a potential coup — he didn’t escalate, he negotiated. Putin has continued to threaten the West with severe escalation if they continue funding and arming Ukraine — escalation we know to mean nuclear weapons. This should now be seen definitively as bluster. Putin isn’t going to use nuclear weapons, so we can continue doing everything we can to ensure a Ukrainian victory."
There's an old saying, if you're losing in a high stakes card game, kick over the table.
If Putin sees his life as being on the line, what is his incentive to not kick over the table? That is, radically escalate.
Putin didn't escalate in the recent "rebellion" because bombing his own troops would have been stupid indeed. Instead, he resolved the incident peacefully in a single day, because that was the smart move. He told the Wagner team whatever they wanted to hear to get them to stand down, and will settle scores later when the world isn't watching.
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