Western Leaders Say "Putin Is Better Than Prigozhin"... Russia's Chaos Deepens

Despite Russia's invasion of Ukraine, Western leaders are reportedly not seeking the ousting of Russian President Vladimir Putin following the rebellion by the Wagner mercenary group led by Yevgeny Prigozhin.

The American political media outlet Politico reported on the 30th of last month (local time) that Western countries do not want the chaos in Russia that would result from Putin's overthrow.

All countries around the world, including Russia's adversaries such as the United States and allies like China, expressed concern about the chaos that could occur in Russia after Putin's removal, while coordinating their response to the rebellion led by Yevgeny Prigozhin, head of the Wagner group.

According to the media, the United States conveyed its position to Russia through unofficial channels. Watching the Wagner group rebellion, it was decided that direct communication with the Kremlin was necessary. U.S. officials also contacted counterparts within the Russian government using established diplomatic channels.

The U.S. action was based on the judgment that the situation could become more complicated if a warmonger like Prigozhin gained power in the absence of a successor to Putin.

The U.S. government has taken multiple measures, including sanctions against Russia since the early stages of the war. Although Putin is facing difficulties due to these measures, the U.S. has repeatedly emphasized that it does not publicly pursue a regime change in Russia.

Andrea Kendall-Taylor, a former intelligence officer, said, "If a violent process of regime change occurs amid chaos, a dictator worse than Putin could emerge."

Yevgeny Prigozhin is shaking hands with citizens as he leaves the military headquarters in Rostov-on-Don, Russia, on June 24 (local time).
[Photo by Yonhap News]

During the rebellion within Russia, President Joe Biden and his aides remained cautious and refrained from making statements. European countries and Russia-friendly nations also emphasized that it was an 'internal Russian matter.' At that time, China's Ministry of Foreign Affairs stressed, "China hopes that Russia maintains national stability and achieves development and prosperity."

Earlier, the armed rebellion by the mercenary company Wagner Group, which had been advancing relentlessly toward Moscow, the Russian capital, ended on the 24th of last month (local time) after just one day. Although the rebellion led by Wagner Group's leader Yevgeny Prigozhin ended in failure, foreign media at the time assessed the incident as revealing the weakened grip of Russian President Vladimir Putin.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.