US says Wagner coup is ‘real’ and ‘serious’ as White House consults allies
https://beehaw.org/post/741553
US says Wagner coup is ‘real’ and ‘serious’ as White House consults allies - Beehaw
Joe Biden has been briefed on the chaotic situation in Russia with US officials
describing it as “serious”. The president was being kept informed as Wagner
mercenary chief Yevgeny Prigozhin was accused by Moscow of launching an armed
rebellion. A White House National Security Council spokesman said: “We are
monitoring the situation and will be consulting with allies and partners on
these developments.” A US official told CNN this crisis was “real” but the
Pentagon and White House were waiting to see how it developed. Steve Hall,
former CIA chief of Russia operations, said it was in a “different league” to
Prigozhin’s previous complaints against the Russian military hierarchy.
I know it's good seeing the snake eat its own tale, but what happens if Wagner group takes over Russia? My understanding is that both the group and the guy in charge of the group are no better than Putin. Do they take out Putin, then step aside for a democratically elected president?
The plausible worst-case scenario is Prigozhin blames the war's failures on Putin and the MoD, then calls for total mobilization and total war against Ukraine to win this. That wouldn't bode well for Ukraine at all.
And Prigozhin and his lawless band of ex-prisoners and other violent misfits gain control of Russian nuclear weapons. There are already reports of them seizing a nuclear weapons depot. This is not a turn for the better, except insofar as it could weaken the Russians’ position in Ukraine. But if Prigozhin seizes power things would get worse again for Ukraine. Prigozhin’s whole schtick is that the Russian military leadership has been incompetent in managing the war, and that he can manage it competently.
Five
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