The EU has monitored the Wagner Group rebellion over the weekend through the activation of the crisis response center and in contact with the G7. Despite the fact that at all times they have assured that it is an “internal matter” of Russia, European diplomacy is aware that it can have repercussions. This has been warned by the high representative, Josep Borrell, before meeting with the foreign ministers of the 27 with whom he will address the matter. The head of European diplomacy has assured that the revolt, although already put down, has shown that the power of Vladimir Putin is touched, but has warned of the danger of “political instability” of a nuclear power”.
Why has Prigozhin revolted and what can it mean for the war in Ukraine
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“It is not good to see a power like Russia going into political instability. That must be taken into account ”, Borrell said in statements to journalists upon his arrival in Luxembourg. For him, the ordeal launched this weekend by the head of Wgner, Yevgeny Prigozhin, shows that “Russia’s military power” is breaking” and affecting its “political system”, which has revealed “fragilities”.
“The monster that Putin has created is biting him now. The monster is acting against its creator”, has exemplified the vice-president of the European Commission, who considers that “it is time to continue helping Ukraine”. Experts believe that the rebellion of Wagner’s chief, which is the army of mercenaries that Putin has used in his military interventions, including the invasion of Ukraine, may favor the counteroffensive of Volodimir Zelensky’s army.
“More than ever. And that is what we are going to do”, Borrell added, who referred to the increase of 3,500 million euros in the funding ceiling for military aid through the 3,500 million euros of the European Peace Support Fund that the EU foreign ministers have authorized this Monday. This way to provide weapons to Ukraine already amounts to 12,000 million euros.
“What the events of this weekend have shown is that there are deep divisions within Russia and there is still time and we must be very cautious and prudent to see what the future of this situation is,” the Spanish Foreign Minister responded. , José Manuel Albares, when asked if the Wagner rebellion can be considered settled or, on the contrary, he considers that it could once again threaten Moscow.
The Swedish minister, Tobias Billström, who still holds the rotating presidency of the EU, also considers that it is “early to make an in-depth analysis” of the situation, but has acknowledged that it will have “consequences in terms of security. “It is very difficult to make statements about what is happening in Russia and this is clearly because it is losing the war against Ukraine,” he added after celebrating the approval of the eleventh sanctions package, which includes a mechanism to prevent third countries from circumventing the restrictions. to Russia.
The head of Estonian diplomacy, Margus Tsahkna, has gone a step further: “This situation in Russia gives us more opportunities to support Ukraine and find the path to victory.” “Ukraine’s victory is crucial for us too,” he had previously noted. Although he has acknowledged that it is “very difficult” to make predictions, his Danish counterpart, Lars Lokke Rasmussen, also sees Putin as “weakened” and has assured that the situation has “an impact on the rest of the world and could have it on the war in Ukraine.” ”.
