U.S President, Joe Biden has stated that Yevgeny Prigozhin’s reported demise comes as no surprise to him, as he hinted Russian President, Vladimir Putin’s involvement in it.
After a briefing following the crash of Prigozhin’s private jet between Moscow and St Petersburg, Biden said, “I don’t know for a fact what happened, but I’m not surprised.”
Biden added, “There’s not much that happens in Russia that Putin’s not behind. But I don’t know enough to know the answer.”
Commenting on Joe Biden’s claim that little “happens in Russia that Putin is not behind,” French government spokesman, Olivier Veran agreed that “as a general rule, that’s a truth that can be established.”
The Kremlin has not yet commented on the crash.
According to the Institute for the Study of War (ISW), a Washington DC-based think tank, Putin “almost certainly” ordered Russia’s military command to shoot down the plane on which Prigozhin was reported to be travelling.
“Putin may have decided that Wagner personnel had reached a point where they were sufficiently more interested in payments and deployments with these new PMCs [private military companies] than their continued loyalty to Prigozhin and that he could safely kill Prigozhin.”
Institute for the Study of War
The ISW added that the incident “will have dramatic impacts on Wagner’s command structure and the Wagner brand.”
“Wagner commanders and fighters may begin to fear for their lives or become demoralised.
“The Russian MoD’s and Kremlin’s inroads into Wagner’s operations and the absence of Prigozhin – who would fight for new opportunities for Wagner personnel – may further lead to the degradation of the Wagner grouping.”
Institute for the Study of War
Other individuals shared the same sentiments.
British MP, Alicia Kearns, the Chair of the Foreign Affairs Committee, noted, “The speed at which the Russian government has confirmed Yevgeny Prigozhin was on a plane that crashed on a flight from Moscow to St Petersburg should tell us everything we need to know.
“For Putin there is one unforgivable sin: the betrayal of Putin and Russia. He hunts down those he perceives to be traitors, (including) on British shores, such as Alexander Litvinenko and Sergei Skripal. Now Yevgeny Prigozhin has been added to that list, ending Putin’s humiliation.”
Alicia Kearns
Polish Foreign Minister, Zbigniew Rau also suggested that the plane crash was not a coincidence.
“… We would have great trouble naming anyone who would intuitively think this was a coincidence. It so happens that political opponents whom Vladimir Putin considers a threat to his power do not die naturally.”
Zbigniew Rau
Prime Minister of Estonia, Kaja Kallas told reporters, “If true, it shows Putin will eliminate opponents and that scares anyone who is thinking of expressing opinion different than his.”
Bill Browder, an experienced businessman in Russia and a Kremlin critic, opined, “Putin never forgives and never forgets.”
Browder added, “He looked like a humiliated weakling with Prigozhin running around without a care in the world (after the mutiny). This will cement his authority.”
Gerashchenko Says Wagner Mercenaries May Seek Revenge
Ukrainian Ministerial Adviser, Anton Gerashchenko pointed out that Wagner mercenaries may seek revenge against Putin and Russia’s military establishment.
Gerashchenko implied on social media that other paramilitary leaders linked to Putin may feel at risk, including a picture of Ramzan Kadyrov, the strongman head of Chechnya whose forces have been fighting in Ukraine.
Meanwhile, the Grey Zone channel, a Telegram channel associated with the Wagner Group blamed “traitors” for the death of Prigozhin.
“The head of the Wagner Group, a Hero of Russia, a true patriot of his Motherland – Yevgeny Viktorovich Prigozhin died as a result of the actions of traitors to Russia,” a post in the Grey Zone channel said.
“But even in Hell, he will be the best! Glory to Russia!” the post added.
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