Wagner Group mercenaries marched towards Moscow on Saturday after seizing a military base in the southern city of Rostov-on-Don, described by Russian President Vladimir Putin as “armed mutiny.”
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan held a phone call with Putin on Saturday evening, offering to mediate between both sides to reach a peaceful resolution.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky whose country has been fighting Russia and Wagner forces said the mutiny showed Moscow’s “full-scale weakness.”
“Everyone who chooses the path of evil destroys himself. Who sends columns of troops to destroy the lives of another country and cannot stop them from fleeing and betraying when life resists,” Zelensky said in a tweet.
“For a long time, Russia used propaganda to mask its weakness and the stupidity of its government. And now there is so much chaos that no lie can hide it,” he added.
Everyone who chooses the path of evil destroys himself. Who sends columns of troops to destroy the lives of another country and cannot stop them from fleeing and betraying when life resists. Who terrorizes with missiles, and when they are shot down, humiliates himself to receive…
— Володимир Зеленський (@ZelenskyyUa) June 24, 2023
The Wagner have played a crucial role in Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, being the forces behind the capture of the Ukrainian city of Bakhmut following a long and bloody battle. However, Prigozhin has criticized the Russian military of incompetence and not providing enough weapons to its troops in its offensive in Ukraine.
Ukraine’s Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba called on the international community to “abandon false neutrality” on Russia. “Those who said Russia was too strong to lose: look now,” he said on twitter.
Those who said Russia was too strong to lose: look now. Time to abandon false neutrality and fear of escalation; give Ukraine all the needed weapons; forget about friendship or business with Russia. Time to put an end to the evil everyone despised but was too afraid to tear down.
— Dmytro Kuleba (@DmytroKuleba) June 24, 2023
Secretary of State Anthony Blinken said the US was in contact with allies as the situation continues.
Spoke today with G7 Foreign Ministers and the EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy to discuss the ongoing situation in Russia. The United States will stay in close coordination with Allies and partners as the situation continues to develop.
— Secretary Antony Blinken (@SecBlinken) June 24, 2023
US President Joe Biden held a phone call with French President Emmanuel Macron, German Chancellor Olaf Scholz, and UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak on Saturday evening to discuss the situation in Russia. No details were revealed but a White House statement read that the leaders “affirmed their unwavering support for Ukraine.”
Belarus, a Kremlin ally, said in a statement that the internal disputes unfolding were “a gift” for the West.
Iranian state media quoted foreign ministry spokesperson Nasser Kanaani as saying that Iran supports the rule of law in Russia.
Prigozhin on Friday accused Moscow of ordering attacks on the forces’ camps in Ukraine, killing a “huge” number of forces. He claimed the attacks were carried out on orders from Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu and chief of the General Staff, Gen. Valery Gerasimov. Russia’s defense ministry denied the claims.
The Wagner Group is a private military company that has been sanctioned by the US and designated as a significant transnational criminal organization. Prigozhin has also had a number of sanctions slammed on him.
According to the US treasury, the group is responsible for or complicit in, or having engaged in, the targeting of women, children, or any civilians through the commission of acts of violence”.
In May, the French parliament adopted a resolution requesting France and the EU to place the group on the list of terrorist organizations.
Updated at 7:53pm with Biden call
