Rep. Mike Turner, House Intelligence Chair, suggests that Wagner rebellion “significantly undermines Putin”

Washington— Rep. Mike Turner, the House Intelligence chair, criticized the Wagner mercenary group’s armed rebellion against the Russian military, stating that it weakens President Vladimir Putin and could impact the war in Ukraine. Turner, an Ohio Republican, made these remarks during an interview on “Face the Nation” on Sunday.

Turner believes that the conflict between Wagner chief Yevgeny Prigozhin and Putin was inevitable, considering Prigozhin’s public criticism of the Russian government and Putin over the past several months.

According to Turner, Putin bears responsibility for the situation, as Prigozhin has openly challenged “Putin’s very premise of the war — that is was not started by NATO, that there were not Nazis in Ukraine.”

Turner emphasized that the act of the Wagner group taking their convoy to Moscow reveals a fundamental issue: Putin’s control over his military. He believes that for any government to maintain stability, it must have control over its military. This poses a challenge for Putin both domestically and internationally, as his authoritarian government relies on asserting power and force to retain its authority.

Last week, Prigozhin called for an armed rebellion to remove Russia’s military leaders, citing their mishandling of the war in Ukraine. He also criticized Putin. Wagner fighters initially seized control of the Russian military headquarters in Rostov-on-Don, responsible for overseeing the fighting in Ukraine, and were advancing toward Moscow until they were ordered to retreat to their field camps following a truce announced between Putin and Prigozhin.

The truce came after Putin referred to the uprising as “treason” and warned that those involved would face punishment. A Kremlin spokesperson announced that charges against Prigozhin will be dropped, and he will relocate to Belarus.

Regarding Putin’s response to Prigozhin, Turner noted that Prigozhin challenged the government on national television, claiming they lied about the nature of the war in Ukraine. This challenges Putin’s ability to persuade the Russian people to continue sacrificing lives for the war.

Turner also raised concerns about Chinese President Xi Jinping, who visited Moscow in March to display solidarity against the West led by the U.S. He believes Xi must now be worried, considering Putin’s inability to control his military. Xi’s stature may diminish as Putin’s authority weakens, and the stability of Russia becomes a concern for Chinese leadership.