The UK Prime Minister highlighted “real cracks” in Russian President Vladimir Putin’s leadership exposed by the attempted rebellion, aligning with US Secretary of State Antony Blinken’s assessment…reports Asian Lite News
Prime Minister Rishi Sunak stated on Monday that the United Kingdom is “prepared” for a “range of scenarios” in Russia following an aborted mutiny involving Wagner Group mercenaries advancing towards Moscow.
Sunak, speaking to reporters, highlighted the “real cracks” in Russian President Vladimir Putin’s leadership exposed by the attempted rebellion, aligning with US Secretary of State Antony Blinken’s assessment.
Asked whether Prigozhin’s failed rebellion could precipitate Putin’s fall, Sunak said it is “too early to predict with certainty what the consequences” of Saturday’s events might be. But he added: “Of course, we are prepared, as we always would be, for a range of scenarios.”
While the UK government has not specified the scenarios it is considering, officials emphasize that any challenge to Putin’s authority is an internal matter for Russia.
Asked if the UK is opposed to regime change in Moscow, he added: “Issues of regime change in Russia are for Russia to resolve first and foremost.”
Meanwhile, UK Foreign Secretary James Cleverly told House of Commons that Wagner chief Yevgeny Prigozhin “drove a coach and horses through President Putin’s case for war.”
Cleverly quoted some of Prigozhin’s public remarks that questioned Putin’s narrative about why the war was launched.
He said UK considers the mutiny as an internal Russian affair, and “the leadership of Russia is a matter exclusively for the Russian people.”
But, according to Cleverly, everybody should note that one of Putin’s protegés had publicly destroyed his case for the war in Ukraine.
“Prigozhin’s rebellion is an unprecedented challenge to President Putin’s authority and it is clear that cracks are emerging in the Russian support for the war,” he added.
Meanwhile, North Atlantic Treaty Organization Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg said the events that took place in Russia over the weekend demonstrate that President Vladimir Putin made a “big strategic mistake” by launching a special military operation in Ukraine, CNN reported.
“The events over the weekend are an internal Russian matter, and yet another demonstration of the big strategic mistake that President [Vladimir] Putin made with his illegal annexation of Crimea and the war against Ukraine,” he said. “As Russia continues its assault, it is even more important to continue our support to Ukraine,” Stoltenberg said during a visit to Lithuania’s capital Vilnius.
He further stated that Ukrainians have launched a counteroffensive to retake occupied land. The more land they are able to retake, the stronger their hand will be at the negotiating table to achieve a just and lasting peace, according to CNN.
On Saturday morning earlier, Wagner mercenary chief Yevgeny Prigozhin, in a Telegram post, announced that his men had crossed the border from Ukraine into southern Russia and were ready to go “all the way” against the Russian military, TASS News Agency reported.
He said he and his men would destroy anyone who stood in their way. “But we will destroy anyone who stands in our way,” he said, adding, “We are moving forward and will go until the end.”
However, later, as soon as the armed mutiny came to an end, Russia also announced that the charges against Wagner Chief Prigozhin would be dropped but today, Kremlin opened charges on the founder of the Mercenary group.
Meanwhile, Stoltenberg further stated that once the war ends, the world needs to put arrangements in place for Ukraine’s security so that history does not repeat itself.”
Stoltenberg said allies are monitoring the situation in Belarus, as per CNN.
He also condemned Russia’s announcement of deploying nuclear weapons in Belarus.
“We condemn Russia’s announcement about deploying nuclear weapons. This is reckless and irresponsible. We don’t see an indication that Russia is preparing to use nuclear weapons, but NATO remains vigilant,” he said.
“If Russia thinks it can intimidate us from supporting Ukraine, it will fail. We stand with Ukraine for as long as it takes,” he added.
Earlier, Russia sent its first batch of nuclear weapons to Belarus, The Hill reported.
Russia moves forward with the plan as part of the plan to deploy tactical nuclear bombs in the country bordering Ukraine, Putin confirms.
“This is a deterrence measure [against] all those who think about Russia and its strategic defeat,” he said at the St. Petersburg International Economic Forum in response to a question about the use of nuclear weapons in war.