Borrell says need to further support Ukraine is the main lesson from mutiny in Russia
EU High Representative Josep Borrell wrote about this in his blog published on the website of the European External Action Service, Ukrinform reports.
“The first lesson is that the war of aggression against Ukraine has weakened Vladimir Putin's regime far more than many observers had thought. Since February 2022, he seemed to have maintained or even strengthened his grip on power despite some crushing defeats of the Russian army in Ukraine. At the same time, many observers argued that the Russian economy had not (yet) been seriously affected by the war and our sanctions. Prigozhin’s mutiny, and the fact that hardly any forces actively opposed the capture of the main Russian headquarter in the war against Ukraine, and the subsequent march on Moscow, showed the depth of the divisions within the Russian army and state apparatus,” Borrell wrote.
He reminded that on 27 June, Putin publicly admitted for the first time that the Wagner Group had indeed been massively supported and funded by the Russian state. According to Borrell, Putin created a monster, and now the monster has bitten him. The fact that a state-funded group of mercenaries opened fire on the regular state army illustrates the degree of pathology of Putin’s Russia.
The EU High Representative also called it “symbolic” that Prigozhin on the eve of his attempted coup, challenged the official narrative used by the Kremlin to justify the war, denying any aggressive plans of Kyiv and NATO. Instead, he blamed Defence Minister Shoigu for spreading lies out of his personal ambition. Borrell said he hopes that more and more Russian citizens, but also more people globally, will start questioning the manipulative official narrative used by Putin, Lavrov and others about this war.
“Even if this attempted coup ultimately failed, Putin has suffered a serious loss of authority, with real consequences for the future. Putin and his regime may now try to consolidate again their power, clamping down on military bloggers who dared to criticise the army, or purging the military, security and state apparatus. However, it is obvious that the Russian state is in a profound crisis,” he said.
According to him, the risk of growing instability in Russia is another serious consequence of Prigozhin’s mutiny, especially for a country that holds nuclear weapons. But here comes another lesson learnt from the ongoing Russian war of aggression: Putin’s Russia represents the biggest threat to European and global security and its nuclear arsenal makes it not less but more dangerous for the entire civilised world.
“This is another reason why we must continue supporting the Ukrainian armed forces to drive Russian troops out of the country. A Ukrainian victory is the best way to reach the just peace, based on international law that Ukraine needs and deserves. Such a peace would also open a possibility for Russia to start a process of change, a prerequisite for a lasting peace. Russian history has shown that when change comes, it may come fast. We should be prepared for that,” Borrell stated.
As reported, on June 23, there was an attempt of military mutiny in Russia, during which Wagner Group seized the military headquarters in Rostov-on-Don, established full control over the city, and set off towards Moscow, meeting practically no resistance, except for airstrikes from government forces. In the end, the leader of Wagner Group, Yevgeny Prigozhin, abandoned his plans, saying he wanted “to avoid shedding Russian blood." Meanwhile, large-scale arrests and interrogations of Russian generals show that the mutiny was a broader plan than the Wagner leader’s rebellion.
