A former Russian diplomat who resigned from his U.N. post last year in protest of the war says Russian President Vladimir Putin’s grip on power had been significantly damaged by the aborted weekend uprising − and that the failed coup’s leader should fear for life despite a deal allowing him to flee to Belarus.
Boris Bondarev made global news in May 2022 when he announced his opposition to the war and defected. He told Australia’s ABC TV in an interview Monday that Putin is likely to seek revenge against popular mercenary leader Yevgeny Prigozhin for the brief march toward Moscow.
“It damages Putin’s image as a decisive (leader) who might crush anybody,” Bondarev said. “So I believe that Prigozhin has a lot of reasons to be very much concerned about his life now because I don’t think Putin may easily forgive this.”
Bondarev said Putin’s inner circle is shrinking and that most people inside the Kremlin do not support the war. Bondarev, who now lives in Switzerland, says he was not surprised that Prigozhin was able to easily take over military outposts at the start of his march. Russian military leaders are incapable of independent thinking, which Putin views as a threat to his iron-fisted rule, the former diplomat said.
“No initiative, no decision of their own,” he said. “So when a crisis arises, nobody knows what to do. Nobody wants to take any responsibility.”
Russian coup could have reached Moscow outskirts without deal, experts say: Updates
Developments:
∙ The Australian government unveiled a $75 million aid package for Ukraine including 70 military vehicles and humanitarian aid.
∙ Ukraine’s Armed Forces have liberated the village of Rivnopil in the hotly contest Donetsk region, Deputy Defense Minister Hanna Maliar said Monday. It’s the ninth settlement regained since the counteroffensive began about three weeks ago, she said.
∙ Monday marks the one-year anniversary of Operation Interflex, a British-led training program that has trained over 17,000 Ukraine recruits. The goal is to train 30,000 by year’s end.
Will Vladimir Putin keep his grip on power? Coup attempt dials up pressure over Ukraine war
Coup leader Prigozhin wanted autonomy, top general fired
The Russian opposition publication Meduza says Prigozhin’s demands were considered vague and strange by Kremlin officials who negotiated with him in the hours after the ill-fated coup began Friday. Prigozhin wanted Defense Minister Gen. Sergei Shoigu fired, autonomy over Wagner’s affairs and more funding. But after an armed rebellion, there was no longer a place in the system for him, Meduza’ experts said.
The outlet said Prigozhin reportedly tried to call Putin on Saturday, but the president didn’t want to speak with him. Meduza surmised that Prigozhin probably realized that “he’d gone too far” and that the support he expected from rank-and-file Russian soldiers was no materializing.
