Led by leader Yevgeny Prigozhin, who has threatened to overthrow the Russian military leadership, several thousand Wagner soldiers marched towards Moscow on Saturday.
Then the Russian president, Vladimir Putin, appeared in a televised speech.
– It was a pre-recorded thing sent there, and the He’s not referring to strength exactly, says Aage Storm Borchgrevink, author and senior adviser to the Helsinki Committee.
Since then, Putin has been silent. There were statements from him across the Kremlin, but the president didn’t appear on TV or talk about it yesterday.
– There are no signs of strength either, but there are signs of the president’s weakness, says Borchgrevink.
In a televised speech broadcast at 1 p.m. on Sunday, Putin said the “special military operation” was a top priority. He is referring here to the war in Ukraine.
However, according to many media outlets, including Russian TASS, this was recorded on June 21 – that is, several days before the uprising in Russia.
A presidential plane took off
– defeat
In the televised address broadcast as the riots took place on Saturday, Putin called the head of Wagner a traitor. He said that the army was given sweeping powers to suppress the rebellion and that anyone who offered armed resistance would be seen as a traitor.
“Putin is certainly shown here as strong and energetic, but at the same time connected to a non-existent world,” says Borchgrevink of the Helsinki Committee.
And the fact that late Saturday night an agreement was being negotiated with President Alexander Lukashenko of Belarus, Borchgrevink believes, probably cannot be interpreted as anything other than a defeat for Putin.
– To enter into an agreement immediately after the weakness of this discourse, according to him.
Author: Aage Storm Borchgrevink He wrote, among other things, the book “The Warlord in the Kremlin”. Photo: Håkon Mosvold Larsen/NTB
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The soldiers and Prigozhin were given an amnesty, and Prigozhin, according to Putin’s spokesman, will move to Belarus.
– None of Putin’s heroes, former tsars and palaces, will let the rebels go. In Russia 300 years ago, these men’s heads were on stakes outside the Kremlin, says Borchgrevink.
– Limit
Borchgrevink believes that Saturday’s uprising marks a change for Putin.
– There were borders crossed in Russia yesterday, the first open rebellion. A completely new situation has arisen in which we now live – a weaker Putin’s, he says.
– This was a great defeat for him, he adds.
According to Borchgrevink, many people predicted that something like yesterday could happen in Russia.
The Russian power apparatus is made up of many gang leaders, and many have stated that Putin played with fire when he set up rival militias, like Prigozhin, as he said it was dangerous to make a monster.
The column consists of 4,000 men
– You should worry
– Is this what happened now Putin’s biggest fear?
– What he fears now is “I managed to handle this, what will happen next?” In addition, he should worry about the conduct of the war in Ukraine, Borchgrevink replies.
– What can help Putin now?
– It can help you to be on the offensive in Ukraine, the author replies.
– At the same time, what happened yesterday is very typical for Russia. He adds that people think hell breaks loose, and also, “It’s down, it’s over,” and everyone goes home.
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