Prigozhin's threat to Putin is “ludicrous”: former Russian intelligence officer | GZERO World
Dmitri Trenin, former Russian intelligence colonel, explains the view of the war from inside Russia.
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President Vladimir Putin is facing the greatest challenge to his power in decades as Wagner Group head Yevgeny Prigozhin leads thousands of his men toward Moscow in what Putin himself has called an “armed rebellion.”
Wagner forces already appear to have taken control of the southern Russian city of Rostov-on-Don, a major logistical base of operations for Russia’s war in Ukraine. Putin has vowed swift action to crush the uprising.
On the upcoming Season 6 premiere of “GZERO World with Ian Bremmer,” Dmitri Trenin, former director of the Carnegie Moscow Center and former Russian intelligence colonel, explains the view of the war from inside Russia. Speaking just hours before Prigozhin began his march, Trenin told Bremmer that it’s “ludicrous” to believe there is any serious threat to the Kremlin.
Though most Russians are aware of Prigozhin’s broadsides against the Russian military via social media, Trenin believes Putin allowed those criticisms to circulate in order to keep the defense ministry on its toes and maintain conflicting lines of information.
“The president comes from the intel community,” Trenin argued. “And in the intel community, you need several sources to get a fuller picture of any situation.”
The fact that a former Russian intelligence officer and Putin ally didn’t see Prigozhin as a “challenge” hours before the Wagner chief launched his rebellion raises questions about whether the Kremlin and those closest to Putin seriously underestimated Prigozhin’s threat. The events of the last 24 hours certainly show that the Russian president’s grip on power may not be as iron-tight as previously believed.
Tune in to “GZERO World with Ian Bremmer” on PBS starting this Friday, June 30, to watch the full interview. Check local listings.
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