Source: Antiwar.com
At the end of June, 2023, Wagner leader Yevgeny Prigozhin’s coup attempt quickly began and quickly ended. Officials in the political West were quick to diagnose the weakness in Putin’s government and the vulnerability in Russia’s forces in Ukraine.
Neither diagnosis turned out to be true. Putin seems to have emerged, not only unscathed by the rebellion, but buttressed by many advantages. The publicly damaging infighting between Prigozhin and Shoigu and Wagner and the Russian military has entirely stopped. Wagner is safely exiled from Russia while, having been largely integrated into the Russian military, it goes on fighting for Russia in Ukraine. Wagner forces are training Belarusian forces and guarding the Belarusian border, while Wagner goes on doing Russia’s work in Africa. Having, in some not entirely clear way, reined in Prigozhin, Putin seems to be deriving increased benefit from Wagner now free of the risks.
Continue reading “Prigozhin is Gone, but Wagner is Everywhere – Ted Snider 8/16/23”