Prigozhin’s mad race to Moscow a pivotal event and it’s shaken Russia to its core

The failed rebellion portends that Putin will lose his grip on power, that Russia could become even more of a pariah rogue state, and that its military could redeploy forces from the southern front in the Ukraine conflict around Moscow, well distant from a potential second front based in Belarus.

Russian President Vladimir Putin, left, Wagner Group leader Yevgeny Prigozhin. Caught in a prisoner’s dilemma—with no satisfactory choices—Prigozhin is a former convict who led a private army including thousands of prisoners who remain desperate with little to lose, writes Erika Simpson. Photographs courtesy of Wikimedia Commons/illustration by Neena Singhal

Opinion

BY ERIKA SIMPSON

June 29, 2023

LONDON, ONT.—Mercenary fighters moved within Moscow’s perimeter on June 24 before turning back to field camps. Their calculated retreat was directed by the head of the Wagner Group, Yevgeny Prigozhin, who then accepted refuge in Belarus, where he could shape negotiations...

To keep reading, subscribe and become a political insider.

Only $7.76 a week for an annual subscription.

Enjoy unlimited website access and the digital newspaper.

Cancel anytime.

Already a Subscriber?

Get Weekend Point of View Newsletter

A round up of the past weekâ€™s opinion writers and columnists on Saturdays and Sundays.

By entering your email address you consent to receive email from The Hill Times containing news, analysis, updates and offers. You may unsubscribe at any time. See our privacy policy