2023-06-24 17:08:37
Ukraine and Lithuania believe that Prigozhin’s advance increases the chances of a Ukrainian victory in the war. Meanwhile, Erdogan advises Putin in a phone call to act “with common sense”.
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has spoken to Vladimir Putin on the phone. According to the Kremlin, Turkey has pledged its support to Putin. From Istanbul, however, the content of the conversation sounds slightly different.
Imago
vof. / (Reuters) Wagner boss Yevgeny Prigozhin escalates his power struggle with the Russian army. He is calling for an uprising against the Defense Ministry, has marched into the Russian city of Rostov-on-Dom and is reportedly on his way to Moscow. Naturally, this development is also being analyzed in detail abroad.
«For a long time Russia used propaganda to cover up its weakness and the stupidity of its government. Now there is so much chaos that no lie can hide it,” said Ukrainian President Volodmir Zelensky on Saturday. The longer Russia keeps its troops and mercenaries in Ukraine, the more chaos, pain and problems it will later have at home.
Lithuanian Foreign Minister Gabrielius Landsbergis reacted with similarly clear words: “Lithuanians have been living on the fringes of Moscow’s brutal bandit rule for 100 years and know that it is only a matter of time before the next chaotic implosion occurs,” he told the Reuters news agency quoted. And further: «We will not be distracted. We see clearly in the chaos. Our goal remains victory and justice for Ukraine. It’s time.”
Meanwhile, Latvian Foreign Minister Edgars Rinkevics says that while he sees no direct threat to his country at the moment, Latvia has responded to the evolving situation by tightening border security. Rinkevics was also quoted as saying by Reuters: “We are not currently considering issuing visas for Russians or border crossings by Russians who want to leave Russia.
The G-7 countries are also monitoring the situation. They talked on Saturday and are in regular contact, said American Secretary of State Antony Blinken on Twitter.
Spoke today with G7 Foreign Ministers and the EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy to discuss the ongoing situation in Russia. The United States will stay in close coordination with Allies and partners as the situation continues to develop.
— Secretary Antony Blinken (@SecBlinken) June 24, 2023
British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak said in an interview with the BBC: “We are closely monitoring the situation that is developing on the ground at this moment. We are in contact with our allies and I will speak to some of them later today. But the most important thing is that all parties take responsibility and protect civilians.”
While the West is observing from a distance, Russia’s allies have been more active: several states have reported having spoken to the Russian President on the phone. In a conversation with Kazakh President Kasym-Jomart Tokayev, Putin assured that this was an internal Russian matter, the Kazakh presidential palace said. “The constitutional order and the rule of law are a sine qua non for maintaining law and order in the country,” Putin said. He also thanked Kazakhstan for understanding the current situation in Russia.
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan also spoke to Putin on the phone. In the phone call, Erdogan declared his “full support for the steps taken by the Russian leadership,” the Kremlin said on Saturday, according to the Russian state news agency TASS. The phone call was initiated by Türkiye. Shortly thereafter, Turkey also confirmed the call, but with slightly different content. Erdogan urged Putin to “act with common sense,” the Turkish presidential palace said.
The Gulf Emirate of Qatar has expressed its “deeply concerned” in view of the armed uprising by the Wagner mercenary group in Russia. The State Department called for “maximum restraint” on Saturday. The ministry warned that the escalation would have a negative impact on global peace, security, and food and energy supplies. Qatar’s announcement on the uprising led by Wagner chief Yevgeny Prigozhin was the first reaction from an Arab country.
#Reactions #Zelensky #Erdogan