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News of General Surovikin’s detention was earlier reported by The Financial Times. There were conflicting reports in the Russian news media about General Surovikin’s fate. One popular account posted a recording of an interview with a woman it said was General Surovikin’s daughter, who denied that her father had been arrested. The question is a critical one for Mr. Putin as well. For years, Mr. Putin has allowed different factions to exist inside the Russian military.

Persons: Wagner Group’s, Sergei Surovikin, Surovikin, Yevgeny V, Dmitri S, Peskov, Surovikin’s, ”, “ He’s, Vladimir V, Putin, Sergei K, Prigozhin, Putin’s, Shoigu, Valery V, Prigozhin’s, Shoigu’s, ’, Samuel Charap, “, Mr, Charap, ” Steven Erlanger, Anton Troianovski Organizations: New York Times, The Financial, RAND Corporation Locations: U.S, Russia, Ukraine, NATO

☆ Dismissing Rebellion as ‘Minor,’ Kremlin Dismantles Prigozhin’s Empire
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-30 | by ( Ivan Nechepurenko | Cassandra Vinograd | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

The mercenary rebellion that shook Russia was merely “a minor trouble,” the foreign minister said on Friday, warning the West not to think that President Vladimir V. Putin’s grip on power had weakened, even as the Kremlin continued to move against the leader of the mutiny. Speaking at a news conference, Foreign Minister Sergey V. Lavrov asserted that Russia would emerge “stronger and more resilient” after the short-lived putsch last Friday and Saturday by Yevgeny V. Prigozhin and his Wagner group troops, who have played a vital role in Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. Mr. Lavrov dismissed the rebellion, which drove an armored column to within 125 miles of Moscow before turning back, as insignificant. “If someone in the West has doubts about this, then that’s their problem,” he said. But it is clear that the government is still cleaning up its aftermath.

Persons: Vladimir V, Sergey V, Lavrov, Yevgeny V, Prigozhin, Wagner, ”, Putin Organizations: Kremlin, Mr Locations: Russia, Ukraine, Moscow

When he finally emerged for a five-minute televised speech on Monday night, the Russian leader skirted a host of questions to insist that the Russian government was presenting a united front to all threats. TUESDAY, JUNE 27:Mr. Putin’s spent a busy day in front of television cameras, portraying the rebellion as a heroic episode for the Russian state. In a televised meeting with military service members in Moscow, Mr. Putin suggested that Mr. Prigozhin — whose name he has refused to utter — or people linked to him might be guilty of graft. And in a grandly choreographed outdoor appearance at the Kremlin, Mr. Putin descended a red-carpeted staircase to deliver a speech from a stage on the medieval-era Cathedral Square. Later, Mr. Putin fed speculation about a broader crackdown in a closed-door meeting with Russian media figures at the Kremlin, presenting himself as a leader in total control.

Persons: Vladimir V, Putin, Mr, Wagner, Yevgeny V, Prigozhin, —, Aleksandr G, Lukashenko, ”, Putin’s, Prigozhin — Organizations: Kremlin Locations: Russia, Russian, Moscow, Belarus, Dagestan

☆ Opinion | Putin Thinks He’s Still in Control. He’s Not.
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-30 | by ( Mikhail Zygar | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +3 min

Mr. Prigozhin, riding a wave of popularity, became increasingly personal and insulting in his denunciations of Mr. Shoigu. Yet Mr. Putin failed to mediate. Sources close to him tell me he hasn’t met with Mr. Prigozhin for months. The situation for Mr. Putin is equally serious. Until now, such figures — hard-liners operating largely on the Telegram social messaging app, who generally support Mr. Prigozhin — could criticize the authorities with some impunity.

Persons: Prigozhin, Shoigu, Putin, Wagner, — Mr, hasn’t, Prigozhin couldn’t, Mr, Alexander Lukashenko of, Alexander Lukashenko of Belarus —, Putin’s, Prigozhin —, Sergei Surovikin Organizations: Kremlin, Central African Locations: Alexander Lukashenko of Belarus, Belarus, Central African Republic, Ukraine

Days after an aborted rebellion in Russia by a mercenary group presented a dramatic challenge to his leadership, President Vladimir V. Putin made highly choreographed public appearances in an effort to project power and control, even as U.S. officials said early intelligence reports suggested that a top general had been detained in connection with the failed uprising. In Moscow, Mr. Putin attended a technology fair on Thursday, sitting in a gaming chair and joking with other panelists onstage. The day before, he strode through a crowd of well-wishers in southern Russia, shaking hands, kissing a girl on the head and posing for selfies. It was a display that Russians had not glimpsed from their leader in years. But amid the Kremlin’s efforts to emphasize popular support for Mr. Putin and the message that Russia was back to business as usual, U.S. officials said that the Russian authorities appeared to have detained a general, Sergei Surovikin, the former commander of Russian forces in Ukraine, who American officials say had known in advance about the rebellion by the Wagner mercenary group.

Persons: Vladimir V, Putin, strode, “, Vladimir Putin, Sergei Surovikin, Wagner Locations: Russia, Moscow, Derbent, Ukraine

☆ Opinion | Lukashenko Proves Once a Tool, Always a Tool
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-29 | by ( Thomas E. Graham | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +2 min

Mr. Putin stepped in to the rescue, backing Mr. Lukashenko’s harsh tactics. It also made Minsk off limits as a meeting place, as the West levied sanctions and isolated Mr. Lukashenko diplomatically. Mr. Lukashenko, now totally dependent on the Kremlin in his bid to cling to power, was in no position to resist. Mr. Lukashenko won’t benefit in any way from Mr. Prigozhin’s demise on his territory and probably hopes his sojourn is brief. Mr. Lukashenko will never be that person.

Persons: brazenly, Lukashenko, Putin, Mr, Prigozhin, Lukashenko won’t, he’s Organizations: Kremlin Locations: Russia, Russian, Belarus, Minsk, Ukraine

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov referred questions about Surovikin to the defence ministry, which has so far made no statement about him. Asked by reporters if the Kremlin could clarify the situation with Surovikin, Peskov said: "No, unfortunately not. "So I recommend that you contact the defence ministry; this is its prerogative." Questions about "structural units within the ministry," Peskov said, should be addressed to the defence ministry. The Kremlin said Putin also chaired a meeting about the development of tourism in the region.

Persons: Wagner, Prigozhin, Sergei Surovikin, Yevgeny Prigozhin, Surovikin, Dmitry, Peskov, Vladimir Putin, Putin, Mikhail Gorbachev, Russia's, PUTIN, Alexander Lukashenko, Andrei Kartapolov, Kartapolov, Guy Faulconbridge, Alexander Marrow, Andrew Osborn, Gareth Jones, Mark Heinrich Our Organizations: General Staff, Kremlin, Reuters, Thomson Locations: St Petersburg MOSCOW, Ukraine, Russian, Soviet, Kala, Moscow, St Petersburg, Russia, Belarus, Concord

The commander of the Russian air force Sergey Surovikin and the Wagner chief Yevgeny Prigozhin have not been seen in public in days as questions swirl about the role Surovikin may have played in Prigozhin’s short-lived mutiny. The Russian air force commander Sergey Surovikin (left) and the Wagner chief Yevgeny Prigozhin APWhy is everyone talking about Surovikin? Prigozhin meanwhile, played the central role in the short-lived insurrection – it was he who ordered Wagner troops to take over two military bases and then march on Moscow. Putin assembled Russian security personnel in Moscow Tuesday, telling them they “virtually stopped a civil war” in responding to the insurrection. Prigozhin was last spotted leaving the southern Russian city of Rostov-on-Don Saturday, after abruptly calling off his troops’ march on Moscow.

Persons: Sergey Surovikin, Wagner, Yevgeny Prigozhin, Vladimir Putin, Surovikin, “ Surovikin, ”, Alexey Venediktov –, –, Sergey Markov, Surovikin’s, “, Yevgeny Prigozhin’s, Putin, Dmitry Peskov, Prigozhin, Sergei Shoigu, Valery Gerasimov, Don Saturday, Alexander Lukashenko, Lukashenko, Peskov, ” Peskov, Mikhail Gorbachev, , Joe Biden, Josep Borrell Organizations: CNN, Moscow Times, Russian Telegram, Baza, Yevgeny Prigozhin AP, New York Times, PMC Wagner, Russian Ministry of Defense, Kremlin, Street, Belarusian, General Staff, Defense, Ministry, Washington DC, Jamestown Foundation, Russian Aerospace Forces, Human Rights Watch, Union’s, Foreign Affairs Locations: Kremlin, Russian, Moscow, Rostov, Russia, Ukraine, Belarus, Minsk, St . Petersburg, Ukraine’s, Afghanistan, Syria, Idlib, ”, Brussels, Dagestan, Derbent

The Biden administration asked Ukrainian officials not to conduct covert attacks inside Russia as the Wagner group rebellion was underway and advised them not to do anything that would influence the outcome of events or take advantage of the chaos, according to American officials. They did not know how he intended to do that, or what he intended to do with them, said the officials, who spoke on the condition of anonymity to discuss sensitive intelligence. The outreach came soon after Mr. Prigozhin began his rebellion, officials said. In urging Kyiv to exercise caution, U.S. officials did not want to give President Vladimir V. Putin an excuse to claim that Mr. Prigozhin’s rebellion was orchestrated by the United States or by Ukraine. They also said they believed that any high-profile operation by Ukrainian forces inside Russia was unlikely to have any major effect on Mr. Prigozhin’s goals, but would allow Mr. Putin to level accusations against the West, according to American assessments.

Persons: Wagner, Yevgeny Prigozhin, Prigozhin, Sergei K, Valery V, Vladimir V, Putin, Prigozhin’s Organizations: Biden, Ukrainian, West Locations: Russia, Ukraine, U.S, Kyiv, United States

☆ Opinion: How Prigozhin’s mutiny will resonate in Russia
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-29 | by ( Chris Good | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +20 min

Chris Good: You have spent a lot of time talking to Russians and developing a deep understanding of Russian public opinion. How will Prigozhin’s rebellion resonate in the Russian public consciousness, in your view? But especially now that it’s all sort of failed in the dust, there’s certainly opinion that it’s very good that it ended. Good: In the book, you talk about public opinion in Russia as involving a set of contradictions. Do you think of Russia as having public opinion, per se, and how you would characterize that public opinion, or the state of mind of Russians, throughout this war?

Persons: Yevgeny Prigozhin, Wagner, Ukraine —, Jade McGlynn Jade McGlynn, Jade McGlynn, ”, Vladimir Putin, Chris Good, there’s, Yulia Morozova, Reuters I’ve, ’, Prigozhin, McGlynn, Prigozhin’s Wagner, It’s, Putin, they’re, Putin —, ‘, Gennady, Zyuganov, ‘ Yeltsin, it’s, Stringer, Russia —, jockeying, they’ve, dismissible, Alexei Levinson, Masha Gessen, I’m, Masha, you’re, We’re, ’ Wagner, Roman Romokhov, he’s, Ramzan Kadyrov, —, you’ve, Russia wouldn’t, Bill Gates Organizations: CNN, War Studies Department, King’s College London, Reuters, Communist, Southern Military District, Getty, Telegram, Soviet Union —, Twitter, Facebook, Sputnik Locations: Moscow, Ukraine, Russia, Russian, Rostov, British, Don, Putin Russia, That’s, aggrievement, Chechnya, AFP, Kyiv, Soviet Union, It’s

☆ 'Obama,' 'Trump gets impeached twice' and the other top political references in Fall Out Boy's new cover of the Billy Joel classic 'We Didn't Start the Fire'
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-28 | by ( Brent D. Griffiths | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +9 min

Fall Out Boy's new cover of the 1989 Billy Joel classic covers a lot of the bases the original touch. "Cambridge Analytica" (2018): The British consulting firm had been around for years, but bombshell reporting by The New York Times and The Guardian in 2018 sparked a scandal. Obama went on to defeat Republican presidential nominee John McCain en route to becoming the nation's first Black president. "Trump gets impeached twice" (2021): President Donald Trump became the first president to be impeached twice in the wake of the January 6, 2021 Capitol riot. Video later showed that Rice, who was 12 years old, was killed within two seconds of officers arriving, The New York Times reported.

Persons: Billy Joel, Obama, Trump, —, Billy Joel's, Gamal Abdel Nasser, Dwight D, Eisenhower, It's, Egypitan Hosni Mubarak, Muammar Gaddafi, Rodney King, King, Vladimir Putin, Putin, Viktor Yanukovych, Russia's, Donald Trump's, Alexander Nix, Cambridge Analytica, Osama bin Laden's, Illinois Sen, Barack Obama, New York Sen, Hillary Clinton, John McCain, Donald Trump, acquit Trump, Roberto Schmidt, Timothy McVeigh, Alfred P, Marjorie Taylor Greene, Sandra Bland, Tamir Rice, Bland, Rice, George Floyd, Derek Chauvin, Chauvin, Kerem Yucel, Gore, George W, Bush, Al Gore, Sandra Day O'Connor, Tom Delonge Organizations: Service, Cubs, Israel, NPR, National Guard, Russia, Cambridge, The New York Times, Guardian, London Thomson Reuters, US, New York, Democratic, Affordable, Republican, AFP, Getty, Murrah Federal Building, Georgia Republican, Minneapolis Police, Civil, Hennepin County Government Center, Texas Gov, Electoral College, Washington Post, CNN, Fox News, The Washington Post, New York Times Locations: Suez, Israel, Egypt, United Kingdom, France, British, Tunisia, North Africa, California's, Crimea, Ukraine, Azov, Kerch, Moscow, Russian, London, Afghanistan, Illinois, Iowa, Washington, Oklahoma, Georgia, The, Hennepin County, Minneapolis , Minnesota, AFP, Florida

☆ Wagner’s Mutiny Has Century-Old Echoes of Another Russian Debacle
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-28 | by ( Anatoly Kurmanaev | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

As Russian soldiers braced in their trenches in Ukraine, a charismatic military leader suddenly marched his forces on the capital. He promised to save the nation from traitors who were pushing it toward catastrophic military defeat. The rebels stopped just short of their goal, but the fallout from the mutiny contributed to pulling Russia apart soon after. The already weakened military collapsed, the government crumbled and the country descended into a devastating civil war. Mr. Putin, an amateur revisionist historian, devoted a significant part of his initial televised address during the mutiny to Russia’s downfall in World War I.

Persons: Vladimir V, Putin Locations: Russian, Ukraine, Russia, Moscow

☆ Belarus' second-rate dictator Lukashenko is 'humiliating' Putin by bragging about how he saved Moscow from an armed Wagner revolt, experts say
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-28 | by ( Jake Epstein | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

Belarusian President Lukashenko says he helped negotiate an end to the Wagner Group's armed mutiny. Hail-mary negotiations, mediated by Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko, stopped the potential bloodshed in the capital. After Wagner fighters captured the southern city of Rostov-on-Don early Saturday, they continued north toward Moscow as the city prepared its defenses for battle. By that point, Wagner fighters had already shot down several Russian military aircraft. Russian President Vladimir Putin (C) and Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko (R) arrive to the Palace of Independence prior to their talks in Minsk, Belarus, on December 19, 2022.

Persons: Lukashenko, Wagner, Yevgeny Prigozhin, Putin, —, mary, Alexander Lukashenko, Vladimir Putin, Prigozhin, Lukashenko's, BelTA, It's, Volodymyr Zelenskyy, doesn't, Pat Ryder Organizations: Service, Wagner Group, Russian, Kremlin, Reuters, Institute for, NATO, Pentagon Press, Air Force Locations: Moscow, Rostov, Belarus, Minsk, Russian, Voronezh, Belarusian, Washington, Ukraine, Russia, Lithuania

☆ Putin Moves to Punish Prigozhin Allies
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-28 | by ( Anton Troianovski | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

As President Vladimir V. Putin seeks to assert control in Russia, he is moving to punish people who enabled the mercenary boss Yevgeny V. Prigozhin’s rebellion over the weekend, but Mr. Prigozhin’s deep connections with the ruling elite are complicating those efforts. The question of who gets punished for the mutiny carries high stakes for the Russian leadership, especially because some of Mr. Prigozhin’s key allies and sympathizers are believed to be inside the military and the government. Several pro-war Russian blogs reported that the authorities were investigating military service members with ties to Mr. Prigozhin, but those reports could not be independently confirmed. Mr. Putin fed speculation about a broader crackdown on Tuesday evening in a closed-door meeting with Russian media figures at the Kremlin. In the meeting, he presented himself as a leader in total control, and said he was delving into Mr. Prigozhin’s business contracts with the Russian Defense Ministry.

Persons: Vladimir V, Putin, Yevgeny V, Prigozhin’s, Sergei Surovikin, Prigozhin, Mr Organizations: Russian Defense Ministry Locations: Russia, Moscow, Russian

But now, as Mr. Putin seeks to project an image of restored stability and control, he has been putting his defense minister on display, even if Mr. Shoigu has not addressed the public or even been heard speaking. Mr. Shoigu was also present on Monday as Mr. Putin convened a meeting of his top security chiefs. On Tuesday, as Mr. Putin praised his security forces in a grandly choreographed speech, Mr. Shoigu was again present, wearing his military uniform. Mr. Shoigu, who was a very popular minister of emergency situations before becoming defense minister in 2012, has had a long and friendly relationship with Mr. Putin. Mr. Putin may have kept both men in charge as part of his decades-long efforts to place the sprawling Russian military more under his control.

Persons: Vladimir V, Sergei K, Shoigu, Valery V, Putin, Yevgeny V, Wagner, ” Mr, Gerasimov, Mr, Prigozhin, Ramzan Kadyrov, —, ”, ” Andrei Guryulov, Aleksandr Dugin, Aleksandr G, Lukashenko, Dugin, Long, General Gerasimov, It’s, Andrei Soldatov, Putin “, ” Oleg Matsnev Organizations: Putin, Cuban, National Defense Control Center of Russia, Russian military’s Zvezda, United, Defense Ministry, General Staff Locations: Moscow, Russia, Ukraine, United States, Cuba, Russian, Ukrainian, Lyman, Chechnya, United Russia, Belarus

Satellite imagery shows that Belarus is rapidly building what appear to be temporary structures at a deserted military base, revealing a possible location for Wagner fighters who were given the option of relocating to the country after the group’s failed mutiny against President Vladimir V. Putin of Russia. The construction was first visible in satellite images taken on Monday by Planet Labs, a private company with a network of shoebox-size satellites, two days after Wagner forces suddenly stopped their march on Moscow. By Tuesday, the images showed that a sports field covering approximately eight acres within the gated military facility had been transformed, packed with at least six rows of what appear to be temporary structures, like large tents. The satellite imagery also shows similar construction in open areas next to the sports field.

Persons: Wagner, Vladimir V, Putin Organizations: Planet Labs Locations: Belarus, Russia, Moscow

☆ Wagner chief Prigozhin is in Belarus following armed rebellion, Lukashenko says
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-28 | by ( Katharina Krebs Paul P. Murphy Natasha Bertrand Jennifer Hansler Helen Regan | Katharina Krebs | Paul P. Murphy | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +7 min

“I want everyone to know about this: the maintenance of the entire Wagner group was fully provided for by the state,” Putin claimed. “In terms of nuclear weapons, most of them were already brought to Belarus, I won’t say how many. It’s surprising that they didn’t trace it,” Lukashenko said, according to Belarus state media. “Russians and Belarusians are guarding it… No Wagner fighters will guard nuclear weapons. This is our task.”If Lukashenko’s remarks are correct, it would be the first time Belarus has had nuclear weapons on its territory since the early 1990s.

Persons: CNN — Wagner, Yevgeny Prigozhin, Alexander Lukashenko, “, ” Lukashenko, hasn’t, Wagner, Vladimir Putin, Putin, ”, BlackSky, ” Putin, Putin’s, ” “, Brian Nelson, ’ Wagner, Lukashenko, CNN Lukashenko –, –, ” Wagner, Prigozhin Organizations: CNN, Kremlin, Federal Security Service, Defense Ministry, Prigozhin, European Union, Wagner, US Treasury Department, Wagner Group, Central African, Treasury, Belarus ‘ Locations: Belarus, Rostov, Belarusian, Minsk, Moscow, Russian, Concord, Africa, Sudan, Ukraine, Central African Republic, Mali, United States, Luhansk, Russia

A senior Russian general had advance knowledge of Yevgeny Prigozhin’s plans to rebel against Russia’s military leadership, according to U.S. officials briefed on American intelligence on the matter, which has prompted questions about what support the mercenary leader had inside the top ranks. General Surovikin is a respected military leader who helped shore up defenses across the battle lines after Ukraine’s counteroffensive last year, analysts say. He was replaced as the top commander in January but retained influence in running war operations and remains popular among the troops. American officials also said there are signs that other Russian generals may also have supported Mr. Prigozhin’s attempt to change the leadership of the Defense Ministry by force. Current and former U.S. officials said Mr. Prigozhin would not have launched his uprising unless he believed that others in positions of power would come to his aid.

Persons: Yevgeny Prigozhin’s, Sergei Surovikin, Vladimir V, Putin, Surovikin, Prigozhin’s, Prigozhin Organizations: Defense Ministry Locations: Russian, Ukraine

☆ What Will Happen to Prigozhin and His Wagner Fighters? Here’s What We Know.
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-27 | by ( Matthew Mpoke Bigg | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

The group operates in the Central African Republic, Mali and Sudan, and in each country it has offered military assistance in exchange for payment, partly in terms of access to the countries’ natural resources. Wagner appeared to operate in Africa on the Kremlin’s behalf, and it is unclear whether Wagner will now press ahead with its contracts on the continent or pull back. Is Mr. Putin stronger or weaker? But since then, Mr. Putin has tried to project unity and strength. On Monday, he billed Mr. Prigozhin as a traitor and said that the Russian state had “at all levels” consolidated against the uprising.

Persons: Wagner, Putin, Prigozhin Organizations: Central African Locations: Ukraine, Central African Republic, Mali, Sudan, Washington, Africa

☆ Opinion | Prigozhin’s Mutiny Against Putin’s Reign of Lies
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-27 | by ( Bret Stephens | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +2 min

But something went wrong in Putin’s approach, and it wasn’t just the incompetence of his military, the bravery of Ukrainians or the intercession by the West. In a nutshell, the problem is this: A monopoly on truth can be sustained only through a monopoly on violence. Big Brother can tell the Big Lie only if he has the Big — and only — Gun. But it creates risks, including the risk that someone from one of those centers of power will be willing to tell an inconvenient truth. And it may be why he appeared to have been treated as a hero, almost a liberator, in Rostov-on-Don.

Persons: what’s, Putin, Prigozhin’s Wagner, Ramzan Kadyrov, Prigozhin, ” —, ” Organizations: Newsweek, Ministry of Defense, NATO Locations: Ukraine, Rostov, Moscow

☆ After Mutiny Against Putin, Russia’s Friends Have Reason to Hedge Bets
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-27 | by ( Mark Landler | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

For Mr. Putin, who has cobbled together a surprisingly sturdy list of countries that either back his war on Ukraine or have stayed neutral, it was a much-needed display of mutual reassurance. Russia’s message, it seemed, was business as usual on foreign policy, even after the alarming events of last weekend. As rattled as they may have been by an armed insurrection in a nuclear-weapons state, Russia’s friends and business partners are unlikely to abandon Mr. Putin, according to diplomats and analysts. The more likely scenario, they say, is for them to hedge their bets against further Russian instability. But privately, if your goal is stability, then you should be worried about Putin’s ability to provide this stability.”

Persons: Vladimir V, Putin, Russia, I’m, ”, Michael A, “ It’s Locations: Moscow, Iran, Qatar, Ukraine, American, Russia

☆ In Kremlin Stagecraft, Putin Tries to Rewrite the Mutiny in Russia
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-27 | by ( Alan Yuhas | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: 1 min

During a mercenary’s daylong mutiny against Russia’s military, President Vladimir V. Putin appeared just once, vowing “decisive actions” to take on “a betrayal of our people.”After the five-minute address, Mr. Putin was out of sight again, leaving Russians to wonder about their president’s absence amid the most dramatic challenge to his rule in 23 years. But the Kremlin’s image machine shifted into action on Tuesday, with Mr. Putin suddenly making televised speeches — an attempt to rewrite the story about what happened and assure the Russian public that he is still pulling the levers of power, whether people can see him or not.

Persons: Vladimir V, Putin

☆ Biden is turning the screw on Putin even as US denies role in Russia’s insurrection
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-27 | by ( Stephen Collinson | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +8 min

CNN —Russia’s short-lived insurrection has handed Joe Biden the most perilous version yet of a dilemma that has confounded the last five US presidents: how to handle Vladimir Putin. Ex-President George W. Bush looked into Putin’s eyes and got “a sense” of his soul, only for Putin to invade Georgia on his watch. Let me emphasize, we gave Putin no excuse to blame this on the West or to blame this on NATO. Putin has shown no sign that outside heat from Moscow’s foes will force him to retreat and bring his troops home. But with the war going poorly in Ukraine, Putin is now facing a new political front at home after his personality cult of an all-powerful autocrat impervious to challenge was punctured by Prigozhin.

Persons: CNN —, Joe Biden, Vladimir Putin, Bill Clinton, George W, Bush, Putin, Barack Obama, didn’t, Donald Trump, Biden, Yevgeny Prigozhin’s, Wagner, Prigozhin, “, Volodymyr Zelensky, Antony Blinken, Putin’s, James, Josep Borrell, John Bolton Organizations: CNN, KGB, Soviet Union, Soviet, Wagner Group, Western, NATO, British, Putin, Russian, US, Red Army, Union High Representative, Foreign Affairs, Trump Locations: Russia, Georgia, Crimea, Washington, Geneva, Russia’s, Ukraine, Moscow, Belarus, Syria, Russian, Soviet, Europe, Bakhmut, Kremlin

☆ His Glory Fading, a Russian Warlord Took One Last Stab at Power
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-27 | by ( Paul Sonne | Anatoly Kurmanaev | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

Well before Yevgeny V. Prigozhin seized a major Russian military hub and ordered an armed march on Moscow, posing a startling and dramatic threat to President Vladimir V. Putin, the caterer-turned-mercenary-boss was losing his own personal war. Mr. Prigozhin’s private army had been sidelined. The commander he most admired in the Russian military had been removed as the top general overseeing Ukraine. Mr. Putin sided publicly with Mr. Prigozhin’s adversaries, affirming that all irregular units fighting in Ukraine would have to sign contracts with the Ministry of Defense. That included Mr. Prigozhin’s private military company, Wagner.

Persons: Yevgeny V, Prigozhin, Vladimir V, Putin, Sergei K, Shoigu, Mr, Wagner Organizations: Ukraine, Ministry of Defense Locations: Russian, Moscow, Ukraine

☆ Russia's near-mutiny just cratered its currency against the dollar
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-27 | by ( Phil Rosen | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

The near-mutiny in Russia this weekend had some unexpected consequences for currencies — more on that below. And yet — the Russian ruble still plunged 3% to a 15-month low on Monday, trading at one point near 87 per dollar. The Kremlin said there was a huge uptick in foreign currency demand across 15 regions in Russia, per Reuters. During the mutiny, Russian banks had cut their ruble exchange rates to over 100 per dollar, though they've since eased prices. What's your outlook for the Russian ruble by year-end?

Persons: Phil Rosen, You'll, Vladimir Putin, GAVRIIL, Yevgeny Prigozhin's, Wagner, Prigozhin, Andrei Belousov, Putin hasn't, Spencer Platt, Morgan Stanley, Billionaire Ron Baron, Warren, there's, Goldman Sachs, Elon, Max Adams, Hallam Bullock Organizations: SPUTNIK, Getty, Reuters, Wall Street Journal, Manchester United, Walgreens, Alliance Inc, Billionaire, Dow, Harvard, Bank of America, Elon Musk's Locations: New York, Russia, Moscow, Ukraine, —, Voronezh, Rostov, Lipetsk, London

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