Former US Ambassador to Russia Criticizes Putin’s Reliance on Lukashenko to Handle Wagner Group Uprising.
According to a former US ambassador to Russia, Vladimir Putin’s reliance on Belarus President Aleksandr Lukashenko to resolve the recent Wagner Group uprising reveals his weakness as a leader. Ambassador John J. Sullivan expressed his views during an interview on CBS’ “Face the Nation” on Sunday, highlighting the significance of Putin’s dependence on someone he previously labeled a traitor.
Sullivan stated, “How dependent now is Putin on Lukashenko? It’s evidence of the weakness that this reveals, what’s happened in the last three or four days, the weakness of Vladimir Putin. It’s not just an appearance of weakness, it’s actual weakness.” He further questioned the actions of a strong leader, emphasizing the irony of striking a deal with someone accused of betraying him and his nation to prevent bloodshed and chaos.
The uprising, led by Wagner Group chief Yevgeny Prigozhin, erupted due to a longstanding conflict between Prigozhin and the Russian military leadership. At one point, Wagner forces took control of a stronghold in Rostov-on-Don, a significant military base in southern Russia. However, Prigozhin ultimately called off the rebellion, with Lukashenko personally offering to broker a deal, as reported by The New York Times.
Lukashenko’s office issued a statement announcing that negotiations resulted in Prigozhin accepting Lukashenko’s proposal to halt the advance of Wagner’s armed units on Russian territory. In exchange for not facing prosecution, Prigozhin agreed to go into exile in Belarus, along with his troops being granted immunity for their participation in the rebellion, according to the Associated Press.
Despite the mutiny’s eventual termination, some experts believe that the incident has tarnished Putin’s reputation. Mick Ryan, a former major general in the Australian military, suggested that Prigozhin’s rebellion could mark the beginning of the end for Putin, expressing his concerns to Insider.
Insider reached out to Sullivan for additional comments, but no response was received at the time of writing, as it was outside regular business hours.
