Vladimir Putin is still in "a very difficult position" after the Wagner group announced it would stand down on its march towards Moscow, according to a New Yorker staff writer who also wrote a biography of the Russian leader.
Masha Gessen began by declaring that we still don't know exactly what the stand down means, or whether the rebellion is truly over. Regardless, though, Putin has to make some difficult choices, according to the journalist, who is also the author of Surviving Autocracy.
"We don't know what it means, as the previous speakers have said. I think there are two entirely contradictory forces right now acting on Putin. On one hand, there is some sort of deal, whether that means he has to give Prigozhin some of what he wants, which is probably more autonomy, more backup, less dependence on the Ministry of Defense, which is who has been struggling with for the last couple of weeks," they said.
On the other hand, according to the author, Putin still has to make sure "to prevent this from happening again."
"So he needs to crack down on the people who supported Prigozhin, on Prigozhin himself and people who have encountered Prigozhin's forces in places that they have made it to in the last 24 hours. For, example, a large city in southern Russia, the seat of the southern military command in Russia, where, as they're packing up to leave, according to .. reporting from there, people are applauding and saying thank you."
Gessen asks how Putin is "going to balance these two completely contradictory" positions.
