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| Caucasus/Russia/Central Asia |
| Putin's humiliation means new dangers for Russia ‐ and the world |
| 2023-06-26 |
| [WaPo] The brief but potent mutiny of mercenary chieftain Yevgeniy Prigozhin and his Wagner troops in Russia on Saturday marks a turning point in President Vladimir Putin’s 23-year rule. Before the revolt, Mr. Putin appeared invincible, leading a highly personalized power structure, bestowing wealth upon various clans in exchange for loyalty. Now, in a flash, he is humiliated and his structure cracked. The implications are deeply worrisome for Russia, for Ukraine and for the world. How Mr. Putin reacts to this, in prosecuting the war against Ukraine and in exercising power at home, will be crucial. Mr. Prigozhin is a creation of the Kremlin, an oligarch upon whom the state showered riches and whose Wagner troops carried out dangerous missions in Africa and most recently in the bloody contest for Bakhmut, Ukraine. Mr. Prigozhin had previously criticized the Russian Defense Ministry over a claimed shortfall of ammunition in Ukraine, and last week he blasted Mr. Putin’s war aims as false. But Saturday’s armed revolt — in which his troops captured a Russian military headquarters in Rostov-on-Don, conducted an armed convoy hundreds of miles toward Moscow, and shot down Russian helicopters and a plane, killing Russian servicemen — was like nothing that has gone before in Mr. Putin’s time. The president’s Saturday televised address reflected a sense of grave panic, accusing Mr. Prigozhin of "betrayal" and executing a "stab in the back" against the Russian people — and vowing punishment. But then, nothing. Mr. Prigozhin was let off the hook, promised that he and his forces would not be prosecuted, and allowed to turn around. This resembles the weak Russia of the 1990s, unable to defend itself against marauders — a feeble state that set the stage for Mr. Putin’s rise as a strongman. The legend that Mr. Putin promoted is of a man who never forgets a slight, a cornered rat who will always strike back, a ruthless former KGB officer who dreams of restoring empire. He was none of those on Saturday. What does he do now? |
| Posted by:Enver Slager8035 |
| #1 WaPo knows all about it. Sure they do. Just like they knew all about the Convington Kids. |
| Posted by: Abu Uluque 2023-06-26 14:45 |