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The rebellion of the Russian paramilitary group Wagner is an episode that marks the war in Ukraine and Vladimir Putin’s 22 years of power in Russia. On June 23, the head of the militia, Yevgeny Prigozhin, claimed that Russian troops had shelled his militiamen and announced a “patriotic march” to Moscow to overthrow the leadership of the Russian Army. However, the military advance lasted less than 24 hours and Prigozhin decided to go into exile in Belarus after this country mediated with the Kremlin.
In this edition of El Debate, we analyze whether the Wagner Group mutiny shows internal ruptures in Russia or whether it is a strategy planned by Moscow to strengthen its military presence in Belarus, Russia’s historical ally. The press office of the Presidency of Belarus announced that, with the endorsement of the Kremlin, it reached an agreement for Yevgeny Prigozhin to stop his advance and go into exile in the country.
Russian President Vladimir Putin, who had branded Prigozhin a “traitor” at the start of the mutiny, later thanked the Russian Armed Forces for avoiding a civil war and offered Wagner’s militia to join the regular army. What will be the future of the Wagner Group and how does this riot affect the image of Vladimir Putin? We discussed it with our guests:
– Marcos Farias Ferreira, professor of Russian and post-Soviet studies.
– Andrés Serbin, doctor in political science and international analyst.
