European Union foreign affairs chief Josep Borrell warned that Russian President Vladimir Putin would pose a greater danger when he was weakened, after the Wagner Group’s rebellion sparked a major political crisis in Russia. Borrell told reporters ahead of a summit of European Union leaders in the Belgian capital, Brussels, today (Thursday): Putin poses a greater danger when weakened, so we must be very careful of the consequences.
He added: Until now, we viewed Russia as a source of threat because of its great power and the force that was used in Ukraine, but now, we have to view Russia as a source of danger due to the instability of the internal situation.
According to Agence France-Presse, Putin faced the biggest challenge since he came to power in 1999, after Wagner’s boss, Yevgeny Prigozhin, led a rebellion over the weekend.
For her part, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen expected that Wagner’s rebellion would lead to aftershocks, and stressed the importance of doubling our support to Ukraine, whether military capabilities or financial support.
NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg, who will hold a working lunch with European Union leaders today, drew attention to what he described as “cracks and divisions” in Russia, which Wagner’s move revealed. He cautioned that it was still too early to reach definitive conclusions.
