Posted on Jun 26, 2023
Russia: Instability ratchets up pressure on Vladimir Putin
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"After a weekend of mayhem, I'm beginning to understand why Russia's national symbol is the double-headed eagle: two heads staring in opposite directions.
First, Yevgeny Prigozhin declares he's ready to "go all the way" in his mutiny against the Russian military. Then he makes a sudden U-turn and orders his Wagner fighters back to base.
In a TV address, President Vladimir Putin declares the rebellion "a criminal adventure… a grievous crime… treason… blackmail and terrorism." Yet just a few hours later, as part of an agreement with Prigozhin, it's revealed that all criminal charges against the Wagner leader are being dropped.
So much for "grievous crime".
The Kremlin leader's mixed messages have been raising eyebrows here and changing perceptions of President Putin.
"He definitely looks weaker," says Konstantin Remchukov, owner and editor-in-chief of Nezavisimaya Gazeta, which is privately owned and one of Russia's main national dailies.
"You can't make a public statement declaring people are criminals and then, on the same day, at the end of the day, let your press secretary disagree with you and say 'No, those people haven't broken the criminal code.'"
Russia's former minister for economic development, Andrei Nechaev, makes a similar point".
First, Yevgeny Prigozhin declares he's ready to "go all the way" in his mutiny against the Russian military. Then he makes a sudden U-turn and orders his Wagner fighters back to base.
In a TV address, President Vladimir Putin declares the rebellion "a criminal adventure… a grievous crime… treason… blackmail and terrorism." Yet just a few hours later, as part of an agreement with Prigozhin, it's revealed that all criminal charges against the Wagner leader are being dropped.
So much for "grievous crime".
The Kremlin leader's mixed messages have been raising eyebrows here and changing perceptions of President Putin.
"He definitely looks weaker," says Konstantin Remchukov, owner and editor-in-chief of Nezavisimaya Gazeta, which is privately owned and one of Russia's main national dailies.
"You can't make a public statement declaring people are criminals and then, on the same day, at the end of the day, let your press secretary disagree with you and say 'No, those people haven't broken the criminal code.'"
Russia's former minister for economic development, Andrei Nechaev, makes a similar point".
Russia: Instability ratchets up pressure on Vladimir Putin
Posted from bbc.com
Russia
Ukraine
Posted 11 mo ago
Responses: 4
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Further instability within Russia can lead to serious consequences for the rest of the world. Scary!
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Great post.
There is so much double speak coming out of the Kremlin all the time that I don't see how anything functions, especially with regard to the war. There needs to be a purge at the top. Politburo level purge. Nobody is talking to each other, and that is creating chaos for the troops and for those that they try to keep blinded from the truth.
There is so much double speak coming out of the Kremlin all the time that I don't see how anything functions, especially with regard to the war. There needs to be a purge at the top. Politburo level purge. Nobody is talking to each other, and that is creating chaos for the troops and for those that they try to keep blinded from the truth.
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PO1 William "Chip" Nagel
..."Don't expect President Putin to concede that he got things wrong, though. Admitting mistakes and miscalculations is not his style.
So what will be the Russian president's next move? A clue, perhaps, came in the latest edition of Russian State TV's flagship Sunday night news show. Reporting on the Wagner uprising, the presenter played an extract from an old Putin interview.
"Are you able to forgive?"
"Yes. But not everything."
"What can't you forgive?"
"Treachery."
I wonder if Yevgeny Prigozhin was watching."
..."Don't expect President Putin to concede that he got things wrong, though. Admitting mistakes and miscalculations is not his style.
So what will be the Russian president's next move? A clue, perhaps, came in the latest edition of Russian State TV's flagship Sunday night news show. Reporting on the Wagner uprising, the presenter played an extract from an old Putin interview.
"Are you able to forgive?"
"Yes. But not everything."
"What can't you forgive?"
"Treachery."
I wonder if Yevgeny Prigozhin was watching."
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