The presumed demise of Yevgeny Prigozhin, the leader of Russia’s Wagner Group, a private mercenary firm, is likely to consolidate Russian President Vladimir Putin’s power, according to former U.S. National Security Advisor, John Bolton, in an interview with CNBC.
Prigozhin was on the passenger list of a plane involved in a fatal crash outside Moscow on Wednesday in the Tver region.
“In my opinion, this incident probably significantly enhances Putin’s position within Russia,” said Bolton. He also added, “I never believed that the mutiny two months ago posed a real direct threat to Putin. I think his position was weakened at the time, but now it seems stronger,” referring to the short-lived rebellion by Prigozhin and his Wagner contingent against the Russian government in late June.
A member of the private mercenary group Wagner pays tribute to Yevgeny Prigozhin and Dmitry Utkin following their presumed deaths in a plane crash on August 23, 2023.
Vladimir Nikolayev | Afp | Getty Images
During the time of the attempted coup, several analysts viewed the event as a humiliating blow to Putin’s authority. Many also predicted that Prigozhin’s days were numbered.
“I believe a lot of the criticism leveled against Prigozhin stemmed from the notion that they were not against the invasion of Ukraine, but rather against the failure to win in Ukraine,” Bolton stated in the interview.
“I think Putin’s position has now been strengthened. We are currently at a critical juncture in the Ukrainian conflict due to the Ukrainian military’s halted spring offensive,” Bolton added.
The former national security official and American ambassador to the U.N. also expressed concern about the slow progress of the long-anticipated Ukrainian counteroffensive, which was expected to significantly change the balance of power.
“From this perspective, I am genuinely worried that the Kremlin will exploit the situation in September or early October and attempt to achieve diplomatically what they failed to achieve on the battlefield,” Bolton warned. “So, I believe we are heading into a precarious period here.”
In a televised address on Thursday, Putin expressed his condolences following Prigozhin’s presumed death.
“In regards to this plane crash, I would like to extend my heartfelt condolences to the families of all the victims. It is always a tragedy,” said Putin.
“I have known Prigozhin since the early ’90s. … He was a talented individual, a successful businessman. He operated not only in our country but also abroad,” he added, alluding to Prigozhin’s contracts in Africa.
The Russian president also confirmed that an investigation into the explosion that caused the private jet to crash was already underway.
– Reported by CNBC’s Karen Gilchrist.
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