The Wagner Group’s uprising revealed weakness in the Russian regime led by President Vladimir Putin, according to Secretary of State Antony Blinken.
Across multiple talk show appearances on Sunday morning, Blinken repeated a similar message about how the brief rebellion is evidence of Putin losing his grip on power.
“I think you have seen cracks emerge that weren’t there before,” Blinken said during an interview on CNN’s “State of the Union.”
"I think you've seen cracks emerge that weren't there before."
Secretary of State Antony Blinken speaks with CNN's Dana Bash on the abandoned mutiny of the Wagner Group in Russia and what this could mean for Russian President Vladimir Putin. @CNNSotu #CNNSOTU pic.twitter.com/lQnU5UYuFs
— CNN (@CNN) June 25, 2023
Blinken noted how Wagner mercenary chief Yevgeny Prigozhin, when he began the revolt on Friday, claimed Russia’s stated justifications for the invasion of Ukraine were based on false pretenses.
“Prigozhin himself in this entire incident has raised profound questions about the very premises for Russia’s aggression against Ukraine in the first place, saying that Ukraine or NATO did not pose a threat to Russia, which is part of Putin’s narrative,” Blinken said on CBS News’s “Face the Nation.” “And it was a direct challenge to Putin’s authority. So this raises profound questions.”
Though Putin went so far as to accuse the Wagner Group of “treason” and said there would be consequences, a deal to de-escalate the situation was announced on Saturday. Prigozhin told his soldiers to stop their march on Moscow while the Kremlin said Russia would drop its criminal case against Prigozhin.
During an appearance on NBC News’ “Meet The Press,” Blinken said “it is too soon to tell” what happens next. “But certainly, we have all sorts of new questions that Putin is going to have to address in the weeks and months ahead,” he added.
Asked if the United States is prepared for the fall of Putin’s government and whether Russia’s nuclear stockpile is secure, Blinken insisted the Biden administration is ready.
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“We always prepare for every contingency in terms of what happens in Russia. It’s an internal matter for the Russians to figure out,” Blinken said on CBS.
“Of course, when we’re dealing with a major power, and especially a major power that has nuclear weapons, that’s something that’s of concern, something we’re very focused on,” he added. “We haven’t seen any change in Russia’s nuclear posture. There hasn’t been any change in ours, but it’s something we’re going to watch very, very carefully.”