Russian officials met with allies, including in China and North Korea, a day after the leader of the Wagner mercenary group Yevgeny Prigozhin halted his dramatic advance toward the capital. That sudden turnaround defused the biggest threat to President Vladimir Putin’s almost quarter-century grip on power.
(Bloomberg) — Russian officials met with allies, including in China and North Korea, a day after the leader of the Wagner mercenary group Yevgeny Prigozhin halted his dramatic advance toward the capital. That sudden turnaround defused the biggest threat to President Vladimir Putin’s almost quarter-century grip on power.
US Secretary of State Anthony Blinken said the uprising posed a direct challenge to Putin. As part of a deal to end the revolt, Putin guaranteed that Prigozhin would be allowed to leave for Belarus and authorities would drop criminal mutiny charges against him and his fighters. There was no immediate sign of him heading to the neighboring country, and Putin has been out of the public eye since a television address on Saturday.
Latest Coverage
- Blinken Says Wagner Uprising Is ‘Direct Challenge’ to Putin
- China Backs Russian ‘National Stability’ Move as Diplomats Meet
- Silence Cloaks Kremlin After Russian Mutiny Against Putin
- Russia’s Descent Into Chaos Marks a ‘Good Day’ for Ukraine
- What Is Russia’s Wagner Group and Why Was It Accused of Mutiny?
All times are CET
Lukashenko Had Another Call With Putin, Belta Says (5:20 p.m.)
Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko talked with Putin on Sunday morning, the Belarusian state news agency Belta reported without providing details about the call, the pair’s second in as many days.
There was no confirmation from Russian official sources about the call.
Lukashenko also had a phone call with former Kazakh President Nursultan Nazarbayev to discuss the situation in the region, Belta said in the same statement.
Blinken Says Uprising Poses ‘Direct Challenge’ to Putin (3:18 p.m.)
Blinken said the Wagner group’s revolt was a “direct challenge” to Putin’s authority, and that the US is focused on supporting Ukraine in its war to drive out Russian forces.
“This raises profound questions. It shows real cracks,” Blinken said Sunday on CBS’s Face the Nation. “We can’t speculate or know exactly where that’s going to go. We do know that Putin has a lot more to answer for in the weeks and months ahead.”
“This is an unfolding story. We haven’t seen the last act,” Blinken said, adding that US intelligence hasn’t seen any change in Russia’s nuclear posture amid the crisis.
Moscow Exchange to Work as Usual on Monday (1:40 p.m.)
Russia’s central bank said trading will take place as normal Monday on the Moscow Exchange, even after authorities in the capital declared Monday a non-working day. Financial organizations will continue to provide key functions, the Bank of Russia said in a website statement.
North Korea Backs Putin’s Move on Mutiny (1:30 p.m.)
Im Chon Il, North Korea’s vice foreign minister, told Russian Ambassador Alexandr Matsegora he hopes that the latest rebellion in Russia would be successfully put down. The DPRK supports any decision taken by the Russian leadership, the nation’s Central News Agency reported.
Wagner Forces Leave Lipetsk, Voronezh Regions (12:49 p.m.)
Members of the Wagner group left the two regions, local authorities said, according to RIA Novosti news agency. They were said to be headed back to their camps at unspecified locations.
Chinese, Russian Diplomats Exchange Views (11:08 a.m.)
China’s Foreign Minister Qin Gang met with Russia’s Deputy Foreign Minister Andrey Rudenko in Beijing just a day after Moscow defused the biggest threat to Putin’s rule.
The Chinese foreign ministry has not offered details of the surprise visit, except to say that the two exchanged views on international and regional issues of common interests. Rudenko’s Beijing visit was not announced in advance by China, raising questions on the timing for his visit.
The latest events in Russia were covered by Chinese state media, with People’s Daily and CCTV both running stories as the news developed. Global Times published an article by former editor-in-chief Hu Xijin analyzing what scenarios the uprising could lead to, including regime change.
Road Blocks Dismantled on Highways Leading to Moscow (10:20 a.m.)
All blockages on the roads leading to Moscow are being removed, the Moscow administration reported, citing the Federal Road Agency. Monday still remains a non-working day for most Muscovites.
Russian, Ukrainian Troops Vie for Upper Hand, UK Says (8:40 a.m.)
Russian troops are attempting to advance in Ukraine’s east, including around Bakhmut, while also looking to quash Kyiv’s counteroffensive in the southern Zaporizhzhia and Kherson regions, the General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine said in an update.
Ukrainian forces have reset in recent days and “are using the experiences from the first two weeks of the counteroffensive to refine tactics for assaulting the deep, well prepared Russian defenses,” the UK defense ministry said.
In Luhansk, Kremlin forces have made their own significant effort to launch an attack in the Serebryanka Forest near Kremina. “This probably reflects continued Russian senior leadership orders to go on the offensive whenever possible,” the ministry said on Twitter, adding that Ukrainian forces have prevented a breakthrough so far.
Italy Says Peace in Ukraine Now More Likely (8:03 a.m.)
Italian Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani said events in Russia showed that its front in Ukraine is weaker, telling Messaggero in an interview that he hopes a peace deal in Ukraine is now closer.
“Putin is not a myth anymore,” he said.
US Suspected Prigozhin Was Ready to Act, NYT Reports (8 a.m.)
US intelligence agencies briefed senior military and administration officials on Wednesday that Wagner Group leader Prigozhin was preparing to take action against senior Russian defense officials, the New York Times reported, citing officials it didn’t identify.
The agencies kept silent about Prigozhin’s plans, the information about which was considered “both solid and alarming,” because they felt that if they said anything, Putin could accuse them of orchestrating a coup, the NYT said.
A narrow group of Congressional leaders was briefed on Thursday as additional confirmation of the plot became known, the newspaper reported.
Kazakh Leader Welcomes Resolution of Events (8 a.m.)
Kazakh President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev welcomed the measures taken by the Russian authorities to restore constitutional order and ensure the safety of their citizens.
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