Secretary of State Antony Blinken highlighted that the recent uprising by the Wagner Group exposed vulnerabilities within President Vladimir Putin’s Russian regime.
During multiple appearances on Sunday morning talk shows, Blinken reiterated his view that the brief rebellion indicated a weakening grip on power by Putin.
Speaking on CNN’s “State of the Union,” Blinken stated, “We have seen new cracks emerge that were not there before.”
Blinken emphasized that Yevgeny Prigozhin, the leader of the Wagner mercenaries, raised significant doubts about Russia’s justifications for invading Ukraine when he initiated the revolt on Friday.
“On CBS News’s ‘Face the Nation,’ Blinken remarked, “Prigozhin himself, through this incident, has posed fundamental questions about the very basis for Russia’s aggression against Ukraine, stating that Ukraine or NATO did not pose a threat to Russia, which is part of Putin’s narrative. It was a direct challenge to Putin’s authority, raising profound questions.”
Despite Putin’s accusations of “treason” against the Wagner Group and his warning of consequences, a de-escalation deal was announced on Saturday. Prigozhin instructed his soldiers to halt their advance on Moscow, while the Kremlin announced the withdrawal of the criminal case against Prigozhin.
During his appearance on NBC News’s “Meet The Press,” Blinken emphasized that it was too early to predict the future course of events. He stated, “It’s still too soon to tell, but certainly, we have numerous new questions that Putin will have to address in the coming weeks and months.”
When questioned about the United States’ preparedness for a potential collapse of Putin’s government and the security of Russia’s nuclear arsenal, Blinken assured that the Biden administration was ready.
“We always prepare for all scenarios when it comes to events in Russia. It’s an internal matter for the Russians to resolve,” Blinken explained on CBS.
“Of course, dealing with a major power, particularly one possessing nuclear weapons, is a concern and something we are closely monitoring,” he added. “We haven’t observed any changes in Russia’s nuclear posture. Our stance remains the same, but it’s an area we will be monitoring very closely.”