Wagner rebellion exposed Putin's weakness, may seek revenge: CIA chief
Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) Director William J Burns has claimed the short-lived mutiny by Wagner Group in Russia last month under its chief Yevgeny Prigozhin exposed weaknesses in the system built by Russian President Vladimir Putin. He claimed that Prigozhin's rebellious act harmed Putin's "carefully cultivated image" and that he was waiting for the right time to exact retribution on the mercenary group leader.
Why does this story matter?
The mercenary Wagner Group launched a rebellion last month, as Prigozhin accused the Kremlin of launching missile attacks against his forces. However, following an agreement, the group eventually ended the revolt and reportedly agreed to go into exile in neighboring Belarus. Wagner is a private mercenary army that reportedly has played a crucial role in Russia's takeover of Bakhmut in Ukraine as well.
Putin would settle Prigozhin situation in best possible way: Burns
At a national security conference in the United States (US), Burns said Prigozhin's rebellion "exposed weaknesses in the system that Putin has built," particularly of the Russia-Ukraine crisis. Moreover, he stated he would be surprised if Prigozhin "escapes further retribution." Burns claimed the situation between Prigozhin and Putin is "complicated," and the latter would try to settle it to the best of his ability.
Those with knowledge of revolt would suffer repercussions: Burns
A former US ambassador to Russia, Burns said that the Russian president was "the ultimate apostle of payback," suggesting that it would not just be Prigozhin who might face repercussions. He hinted that a senior Russian general, Sergei V Surovikin, would also face retribution as he allegedly had advance knowledge of Prigozhin's revolt plans and may have even supported the rebellion.
Prigozhin's war criticism will become more widespread
According to Burns, Prigozhin's criticism of the Russia-Ukraine war will become more widespread among Russians as Kyiv makes advances in the war. "In the sense that if and when Ukrainians make further advances on the battlefield, I think what that's going to do is cause more and more Russians in the elite and outside the elite, to pay attention to Prigozhin's critique," he said.
About Wagner Group's mutiny
To recall, Wagner Group's uprising against Putin and the Kremlin lasted just over a day before Putin's aide and Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko successfully negotiated a truce. The revolt was allegedly launched due to the 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.
