US had no role in Wagner's mutiny in Russia: Report
Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) Director William Burns has reportedly called Kremlin's Foreign Intelligence Service chief Sergei Naryshkin to assure Moscow the United States (US) had no role in the Wagner Group's aborted mutiny in Russia last week. According to reports, Burns's call with Naryshkin took place earlier this week and was also the highest-level contact between the two nations since the attempted coup.
Why does this story matter?
A high alert was sounded across Russia last Saturday after Yevgeny Prigozhin-led mercenary group Wagner launched a rebellion alleging to have captured some military bases after the Kremlin reportedly launched missiles against its forces. It is also worth noting that the Wagner Group is a private mercenary army and has played a pivotal role in the seizure of Bakhmut by Russia in Ukraine.
We're not going to get into specifics: White House official
While it still remains unclear what the rest of the conversation between Burns and Naryshkin entailed, an official of the White House told The Wall Street Journal, "We are not going to get into specifics of individual diplomatic discussions." On the other hand, another official stated, "The US wasn't involved. This (the aborted mutiny) is an internal Russian matter."
What Biden said on Wagner's mutiny in Russia
Earlier this week, US President Joe Biden said neither Ukraine nor America played a role in the Russian betrayal. "We made clear that we were not involved. We had nothing to do with it (mutiny)," the US president said on Monday at the White House. "This was part of a struggle within the Russian system," added Biden.
All you need to know about Wagner Group's mutiny
To recall, the Wagner Group's uprising against Russian President Vladimir Putin and the Kremlin lasted approximately one day before Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko successfully negotiated a truce. The revolt was allegedly launched due to Kremlin's mismanagement and mistreatment of Wagner soldiers. Moreover, the Wagner Group chief has also reportedly been exiled to Belarus for his treasonous actions as part of the truce agreement.
Why Prigozhin halted troops from entering Moscow
Prigozhin's troops reportedly invaded Rostov-on-Don last Saturday, and his armed forces would have reached the Russian capital about 24 hours later. As a result, Red Square in Moscow was even closed down, and the mayor advised motorists to stay off certain roads. However, Prigozhin announced later that he was withdrawing his troops as it would have resulted in a massive bloodbath.
