WASHINGTON: The recent crisis in Russia, involving an aborted revolt by a mercenary group against the Kremlin, has revealed significant vulnerabilities in President Vladimir Putin’s authority, according to US Secretary of State Antony Blinken.
Speaking on CBS News talk show “Face the Nation,” Blinken described the uprising by the private Wagner group, led by Yevgeny Prigozhin, as a direct challenge to Putin’s leadership.
Blinken’s remarks mark the first public declarations by the United States regarding the developments in Russia. Over the past 24 hours, the US has been engaged in intensive consultations with European allies on the revolt.
Blinken, appearing on multiple Sunday talk shows, cautioned that it was too early to speculate on the crisis’s impact on the Kremlin or the ongoing war in Ukraine. However, he characterized the events as extraordinary, highlighting how a close ally of Putin turned against him and threatened the very center of power in the Kremlin.
