{"id":1956627,"date":"2023-06-25T15:47:02","date_gmt":"2023-06-25T19:47:02","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/clearly-putin-is-weakened-top-us-officials-react-to-wagner-mutiny-in-russia\/"},"modified":"2023-06-25T15:48:57","modified_gmt":"2023-06-25T19:48:57","slug":"clearly-putin-is-weakened-top-us-officials-react-to-wagner-mutiny-in-russia","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/clearly-putin-is-weakened-top-us-officials-react-to-wagner-mutiny-in-russia\/","title":{"rendered":"US officials react to Russia&#8217;s Wagner mutiny: Putin&#8217;s power appears diminished."},"content":{"rendered":"<aside class=\"mashsb-container mashsb-main mashsb-stretched\"><div class=\"mashsb-box\"><div class=\"mashsb-count mash-medium\" style=\"float:left\"><div class=\"counts mashsbcount\">22<\/div><span class=\"mashsb-sharetext\">SHARES<\/span><\/div><div class=\"mashsb-buttons\"><a class=\"mashicon-facebook mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/sharer.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.conservativenewsdaily.net%2Fbreaking-news%2Fclearly-putin-is-weakened-top-us-officials-react-to-wagner-mutiny-in-russia%2F\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Facebook<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-twitter mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/intent\/tweet?text=&amp;url=https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/?p=1956627&amp;via=ConservNewsDly\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Twitter<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-subscribe mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"#\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Subscribe<\/span><\/a><div class=\"onoffswitch2 mash-medium mashsb-noshadow\" style=\"display:none\"><\/div><\/div>\n            <\/div>\n                <div style=\"clear:both\"><\/div><\/aside>\n            <!-- Share buttons by mashshare.net - Version: 4.0.47--><div class=\"post_content\">\n<h2>Putin&#8217;s Weakness Exposed as Wagner Group Mounts Mutiny<\/h2>\n<p>Top U.S. officials on June 25 reacted to news out of Russia that the Wagner Private Military Company had mounted a mutiny against the Russian state before withdrawing, saying it shows that Russian President Vladimir Putin is weaker within his own nation than many thought.<\/p>\n<p>The conflict between Putin and Wagner chief Yevgeny Prigozhin\u2014formerly known as \u201cPutin\u2019s chef\u201d for the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/fact-check-did-former-new-south-wales-premier-gladys-berejiklian-resign-after-receiving-millions-of-dollars-from-pfizer\/\" title=\"FACT CHECK: Did Former New South Wales Premier Gladys Berejiklian Resign After Receiving Millions Of Dollars From Pfizer?\">close personal relationship<\/a> the two enjoyed\u2014kicked off on June 23 after a <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/powerful-l-a-democrat-and-great-friend-of-obama-indicted-on-federal-corruption-charges\/\" title=\"Powerful L.A. Democrat And \u2018Great Friend\u2019 Of Obama Indicted On Federal Corruption Charges\">long-running feud<\/a> between Prigozhin and the Russian Defence Ministry appeared to reach a boiling point.<\/p>\n<p>Prigozhin claimed that Russian military forces had intentionally killed a \u201chuge\u201d number of Wagner group contractors as part of his justification for the assault.<\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_5354711\" style=\"width: 600px\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\">\n    <a href=\"https:\/\/img.theepochtimes.com\/assets\/uploads\/2023\/06\/24\/id5354711-Russia_Ukraine_23175199897169-1200x657.jpg\"><figcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\"><noscript><\/noscript><\/figcaption><\/a><br \/>\n    Yevgeny Prigozhin, the owner of the Wagner Group military company, records his video addresses in Rostov-on-Don, Russia, on June 24, 2023. (Prigozhin Press Service via AP)<br \/>\n  <\/figure>\n<p>But the incursion seemed to end almost as soon as it began, spanning a <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/clearly-putin-is-weakened-top-us-officials-react-to-wagner-mutiny-in-russia\/\" title=\"US officials react to Russia's Wagner mutiny: Putin's power appears diminished.\">roughly 24-hour period<\/a> in which Wagner saw huge gains into the Russian heartland before inexplicably cutting a deal with Russia and withdrawing. Prigozhin was granted amnesty from criminal action for treason as part of his deal not to continue his march on Moscow and has retired to Belarus, a Russian satellite state.<\/p>\n<p>Information about the sequence of events is limited in Russia, where <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/yemen-lgbt-refugees-and-white-supremacy-everything-you-need-to-know-about-bidens-first-foreign-policy-speech\/\" title=\"Yemen, LGBT Refugees, And White Supremacy: Everything You Need To Know About Biden\u2019s First Foreign Policy Speech\">press freedom<\/a> is restricted, and many conflicting accounts of events have emerged.<\/p>\n<h3>U.S. Officials React<\/h3>\n<p>Top U.S. officials are contending with the dizzying speed of the advance, compromise, and withdrawal, saying that it indicates that Putin is weaker than many thought.<\/p>\n<p>Secretary of State Antony Blinken ran a circuit of morning shows on Sunday, where he fielded questions about U.S. intelligence about the saga.<\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_5209287\" style=\"width: 600px\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\">\n    <a href=\"https:\/\/img.theepochtimes.com\/assets\/uploads\/2023\/04\/20\/id5209287-04112023-DSC06313-Antony-Blinken-1200x800.jpg\"><figcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\"><noscript><\/noscript><\/figcaption><\/a><br \/>\n    U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken attends a press conference at State Department in Washington, on April 11, 2023. (Madalina Vasiliu\/The Epoch Times)<br \/>\n  <\/figure>\n<p>Blinken called reports out of Russia \u201cextraordinary.\u201d Former CIA Director David Petraeus called them \u201cstunning.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Blinken confessed to CNN\u2019s Dana Bash on \u201cState of the Union\u201d that U.S. intelligence is unsure why Wagner suddenly retreated after coming, according to reports, within 125 miles of Moscow, which had begun to set up heavy fortifications in preparation for the Wagner onslaught.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWe don\u2019t have full information, honestly, and it\u2019s too soon to tell exactly where this is going to go,\u201d Blinken said when asked about the retreat. \u201cAnd I suspect that this is a moving picture, and we haven\u2019t seen the last act yet.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Petraeus said that Progozhin \u201clost his nerve\u201d and said, \u201cIt brings to mind also Napoleon\u2019s admonition, \u2018If you start to take Vienna, take Vienna.&#8217;\u201d<\/p>\n<h2>\u2018Beginning of the End for Putin\u2019<\/h2>\n<p>As the dust begins to settle from what could have spiraled into a <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/migrant-crisis-macron-says-british-responsible-for-those-who-die-at-sea\/\" title=\"Migrant Crisis: Macron Says British Responsible 'for those who Die at Sea'\">full-scale crisis<\/a> for Putin, many observers are predicting that it could be the \u201cbeginning of the end\u201d for the embattled Russian president.<\/p>\n<p>Blinken, however, was hesitant to apply such an analysis.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cDo you believe that this is the beginning of the end for Vladimir Putin?\u201d Bash asked.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI don\u2019t want to speculate about that,\u201d Blinken said. \u201cThis is, first of all, an internal matter for Russia.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>However, he argued that Russian military action in Ukraine has become a strategic failure across the board. He said Russia is weaker economically and militarily, and its standing around the world has plummeted. It managed to get Europeans off of Russian energy. It managed to unite and strengthen NATO with new members and a stronger alliance. It managed to alienate Ukraine from Russia and unite it in ways that it\u2019s never been before.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThis is just an added chapter to a very, very bad book that Putin has written for Russia.\u201d<\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_5355251\" style=\"width: 600px\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\">\n    <a href=\"https:\/\/img.theepochtimes.com\/assets\/uploads\/2023\/06\/25\/id5355251-putin-1200x800.jpeg\"><figcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\"><noscript><\/noscript><\/figcaption><\/a><br \/>\n    Russian President Vladimir Putin is seen on monitors as he addresses the nation after Yevgeny Prigozhin, the owner of the Wagner Group military company, called for armed rebellion and reached the southern city of Rostov-on-Don with his troops, in Moscow, Russia, on June 24, 2023. (Pavel Bednyakov, Sputnik, Kremlin Pool Photo via AP)<br \/>\n  <\/figure>\n<p>Blinken added that it\u2019s \u201cstriking\u201d that these events transpired from within the nation rather than without, as until now, the Russian homeland has faced little military repercussions for its action in Ukraine.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cIt adds cracks, where those go when they get there too soon to say, but it clearly raises new questions that Putin has to deal with,\u201d Blinken said.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThis moment shows the cracks within with Russia and Putin losing his grip on that country,\u201d Former North Dakota Gov. Doug Burgum, who recently announced his candidacy for the Republican presidential nomination in 2024, agreed.<\/p>\n<p>House Intelligence Committee Chairman Mike Turner (R-Ohio) told CBS\u2019s \u201cFace the Nation\u201d that for the invasion to have gotten as far as it did, there must have been \u201caccomplices\u201d within the Russian military.<\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_3419470\" style=\"width: 600px\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\">\n    <a href=\"https:\/\/img.theepochtimes.com\/assets\/uploads\/2020\/07\/10\/Rep.-Mike-Turner-1200x800.jpg\"><figcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\"><noscript><\/noscript><\/figcaption><\/a><br \/>\n    Rep. Mike Turner (R-OH) questions Gordon Sondland, the U.S ambassador to the European Union, as he testifies before the House Intelligence Committee in the Longworth House Office Building on Capitol Hill in Washington, Nov. 20, 2019. (Alex Edelman\/Getty Images)<br \/>\n  <\/figure>\n<p>\u201cFor any government to have stability, they have to control their military,\u201d Turner said. \u201cObviously, in order [for Progozhin] to make it that distance, he has to have accomplices.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWhere was the Russian Air Force in preventing this?\u201d he wondered.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThat\u2019s going to be an issue that Putin is going to have to deal with both internationally and domestically,\u201d Turner said. \u201cHis government as an authoritarian government depends on its assertion of power and force in order to be able to continue to wield power. And that certainly is going to be an issue.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Petraeus said that the sequence of events shows \u201cclearly Putin is weakened, his government is weakened.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWho knows where this could go,\u201d he added. \u201cNow, we\u2019ve always asked who would be the one who would strike a blow at the Tsar, and now we know, although he failed.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Nevertheless, Petraeus suggested, \u201cIt creates a lot of doubts, I\u2019m sure, in the minds of those around him,\u201d particularly as the Russian invasion of Ukraine continues to fall below optimistic initial expectations.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Sen. Amy Klobuchar (D-Minn.) said, \u201cIt showed a demonstrable crack in the strength of Vladimir Putin at home. It was a visible rejection of his war policy by a guy who had been his ally, who clearly had gone insubordinate on him.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThis really does hurt Putin, and not only just politically and in his leadership in Russia and his presidency, but in his efforts to continue the war in Ukraine,\u201d Turner agreed.<\/p>\n<h2>How Should the US Respond?<\/h2>\n<p>Officials also opined on U.S. responses to the instability caused by the situation as it continues to support Ukraine against the Russian invasion, with most recommending continued support of Ukraine.<\/p>\n<p>Bash asked Blinked, \u201cThe Ukrainian foreign minister \u2026 says it\u2019s time for the US and others to put the foot on the gas, give Ukraine everything it needs to finish this. Is that going to happen?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWe have worked to make sure that the Ukrainians have what they need when they need it to do as well as they possibly can on the ground,\u201d Blinken said. \u201cWe\u2019ll continue to do that. We\u2019re relentlessly focused on this. There\u2019s tremendous unity of purpose.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Top U.S. officials responded to reports of a mutiny by the Wagner Private Military Company in Russia, suggesting that President Putin&#8217;s internal strength may be weaker than perceived. The clash between Putin and Wagner&#8217;s leader, Yevgeny Prigozhin, highlights this vulnerability.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":57,"featured_media":1956628,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_mo_disable_npp":"","fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/cndimages.nyc3.digitaloceanspaces.com\/breaking-news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/01\/IMG_2758-scaled-1.jpg","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[543],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-1956627","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-the-epoch-times"],"fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/cndimages.nyc3.digitaloceanspaces.com\/breaking-news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/01\/IMG_2758-scaled-1.jpg","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1956627","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/57"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1956627"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1956627\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/1956628"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1956627"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=1956627"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=1956627"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}