CIA Chief William Burns: Putin will take revenge on Prigozhin

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The mutiny of the Wagner troops was over after 36 hours. According to CIA chief William J. Burns (67), Russian President Vladimir Putin (70) was not in control of the situation between June 23 and 24. He would be surprised if Wagner boss Yevgeny Prigozhin, 62, eventually “dodges further retaliation,” Burns said Thursday at the Aspen Security Forum, an annual security conference.

Russia’s security services, military and decision-makers have long behaved “disoriented,” Burns explains, according to the “New York Times.” “Many Russians, accustomed to the image of Putin as the guardian of order, asked the question: ‘Isn’t the Emperor wearing any clothes?’ Or at least, ‘Why does it take him so long to get dressed?'”

«Best cold»

Burns was once the US ambassador to Moscow. According to the CIA director, Putin is the “ultimate apostle of vengeance.” “What we see is a very complicated dance between Prigozhin and Putin. I think Putin is someone who generally believes that revenge is best served cold, so he will try to rectify the situation as best he can.” It is not only Prigozhin who must expect the consequences.

The agreement between Putin and Prigozhin to end the uprising came about not least with the help of Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko (68). Since the uprising and the agreement, Prigozhin has been in exile in Belarus, apart from a meeting with the Russian president on June 29 at the Kremlin.

MI6 makes a similar statement

His British colleague Richard Moore (60) of MI6 made a similar statement to Burns. The insurgency shows “cracks” in Putin’s rule, Moore said. Putin made the deal with Prigozhin “to save his skin”.

The future fate of the Wagner Group is uncertain. In a video address, Putin said the Wagner soldiers “could continue to serve Russia by contracting with the Defense Ministry or other law enforcement agencies, or returning to their families and your friends.” Putin added that anyone who wants to can go to Belarus.

In a video, Prigozhin seems to indicate that the Wagner soldiers will conduct future operations in Africa and train the Belarusian armed forces. The state news agency in Belarus, citing the Ministry of Defense, reported that the Wagner fighters were “instructors in some military disciplines”. (no)

Source: Blick