Joe Biden unsurprised by report of Wagner chief Yevgeny Prigozhin’s dying

U.S. President Joe Biden on Wednesday mentioned he was not stunned by reviews that Russian mercenary chief Yevgeny Prigozhin had died in a airplane crash, including that not a lot occurs within the nation that President Vladimir Putin shouldn’t be behind.

Analysts mentioned the incident might be a manner for Putin to warn others who would possibly betray him or to indicate his help to the Russian navy, whom Prigozhin undermined with an abortive armed mutiny in June.

Prigozhin was listed as a passenger on a non-public jet that crashed on Wednesday night north of Moscow with no survivors, in keeping with Russian authorities.

Reuters couldn’t affirm that he was on the plane, although a Telegram channel linked to Wagner pronounced him useless.

The White House mentioned Biden had been briefed on the crash and he informed reporters he didn’t know for a truth what had occurred.

“But I’m not surprised,” Biden mentioned.

“There is not much that happens in Russia that Putin is not behind, but I don’t know enough to know the answer.”

Prigozhin, 62, led a mutiny in opposition to Russia’s prime military brass on June 23-24, which Putin mentioned might have tipped Russia into civil conflict.

Biden and CIA Director Williams Burns spoke individually final month of the potential hazard to Prigozhin after his actions, though considerably in jest.

“If I were he, I’d be careful what I ate. I’d be keeping my eye on my menu,” Biden mentioned throughout a information convention with Finland’s President Sauli Niinisto in July.

“But all kidding aside…I don’t think any of us know for sure what the future of Prigozhin is in Russia.”

Speaking per week later, CIA Director William Burns mentioned: “I think Putin is someone who generally thinks that revenge is a dish best served cold … If I were Prigozhin, I wouldn’t fire my food taster.”

Prigozhin’s June mutiny was ended by negotiations and an obvious Kremlin deal that noticed him comply with relocate to neighboring Belarus. But he appeared to maneuver freely inside Russia after the deal nonetheless.

Published On:

Aug 24, 2023