President Volodymyr Zelenskiy urged NATO to stop looking at deliberations in the Kremlin when deciding on support for Ukraine, as he reiterated his nation’s desire to join the military bloc.
Russian President Vladimir Putin sought to portray rebellious Wagner leader Yevgeny Prigozhin as corrupt in an effort to undercut the mercenary chief’s claims of sympathy for the group and show he’s firmly in control. But many powerful players in the Kremlin and business elite aren’t buying it, according to people familiar with the situation.
Latest Coverage
- Putin Says He’s Back in Control But Russia’s Elite Isn’t So Sure
- Aborted Russia Mutiny Boosts Support for More US Arms to Ukraine
- Four Dead in Disputed Region as Armenia, Azerbaijan Meet in US
- Wagner’s Mutiny Creates New Questions About Its Business Empire
All times CET
Ukraine Calls for Russia to Be Seen as High-Risk Jurisdiction (1:51 p.m.)
Putin’s acknowledgment that the Kremlin financed the Wagner mercenary group should prompt the international community to recognize Russia as a high-risk jurisdiction and issue relevant market advisories to “avoid contributing to financing terrorism and organized crime,” Ukraine’s Finance Ministry said.
Wagner Group is designated as a terrorist organization by Estonia, Lithuania, and the French parliament, while the US has sanctioned Wagner Group as a Transnational Criminal Organization, the ministry said. Ukraine is seeking to make Russia a financial pariah state, and The Financial Action Task Force, an inter-governmental organization that sets standards for combating dirty money, suspended Russia from membership in February.
Zelenskiy Urges NATO to Stop Looking at the Kremlin (12:47 p.m.)
Zelenskiy urged the North Atlantic Treaty Organization to stop looking at a weakened Kremlin in their deliberations on Ukraine’s membership and reiterated his country’s resolve to join the alliance as well as the European Union.
“It is absurd to look back at an incapable leader,” he said. “Even Russia’s internal forces have stopped looking back at the frail master of Kremlin.”
Ukraine’s victory means liberation of all its territory and it will bring peace and security to countries like Moldova, Georgia and Belarus, Zelenskiy said in a televised speech to parliament. Ukraine won’t accept the war turning into any kind of frozen conflict with Russia, he added.
Kremlin Calls Report on Mutiny Plans ‘Speculation’ (12:40 p.m.)
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said a New York Times report that a top Russian general allegedly knew about Prigozhin’s plans for an insurrection was “speculation,” according to Interfax.
“Around these events there’s a lot of different speculation, gossip and such,” the news service cited Peskov as saying. “I think this is one of those examples.”
Kremlin Gets Expressions of Support From Bahrain (11:10 a.m.)
The Kremlin said Bahraini King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa called Putin to express support for his leadership. It’s the latest in a string of statements the Kremlin has received in the last several days from its allies, including the leaders of Turkey, Qatar and Iran.
Putin Belittles Wagner Rebellion Leader the Kremlin Created (9:29 a.m.)
As Prigozhin arrived in Belarus in his private jet from St. Petersburg on Tuesday, Putin was detailing more than $3 billion he said Russia had paid for Wagner’s troops and for food supplied by Prigozhin’s catering company for the Russian army fighting in Ukraine.
“I hope that no one stole anything, or, let’s say, stole just a little, in the course of this work,” Putin told a group of soldiers at the Kremlin. “We will of course look into all this.”
Top General May Have Known of Prigozhin Plan, Report Says (4:05 a.m.)
A top Russian general who has been an ally of Prigozhin knew something of his plans for a rebellion, the New York Times reported, citing anonymous sources.
The newspaper said US officials were trying to determine whether the general, Sergei Surovikin, and other Russian military leaders supported Prigozhin’s move. The officials, according to the Times, think Prigozhin would not have acted unless he believed that he had powerful support.
Surovikin was replaced as commander of Russian forces in Ukraine in January after holding that post since October. Before that, he had been commander-in-chief of Russia’s aerospace forces and led operations in Syria.
Uprising Boosts Support for More US Arms to Ukraine (11:24 p.m.)
The 24-hour mutiny by mercenaries is likely to bolster those in Washington seeking to boost support for Ukraine’s war effort.
The failed rebellion by Prigozhin’s soldiers-for-hire against Russian government forces may spur bolder commitments from other NATO countries when their leaders gather next month in Vilnius, Lithuania, according to a person familiar with the Biden administration’s thinking.
