Secretary of State Antony Blinken Warns that the Situation between Russia and Wagner Mercenary Group is Far from Over

Secretary of State Antony Blinken said Sunday that the situation between Russia and the Wagner mercenary group is far from over, a day after the two sides said they had reached a truce following a revolt from the private army.

The revolt, which lasted less than 36 hours, was led by Wagner mercenary chief Yevgeny Prigozhin, who had previously been considered a close ally of Russian President Vladimir Putin. Prigozhin called for an armed rebellion aimed at ousting Russia’s military leaders, whom he accused of botching the war in Ukraine.

In an interview on “Meet the Press,” Blinken said that “what we’ve seen is Russia having to defend Moscow, its capital, against mercenaries of its own making,” adding that “in and of itself, that’s extraordinary.”

Blinken said that the U.S. has seen “more cracks emerge in the Russian facade” after Prigozhin posed a “direct challenge to Putin’s authority” in his rebellion against Moscow’s military. He added that the U.S. has “seen rise to the surface some of the tensions and divisions that have been there for a long time.”

When asked if the situation between Russia and the Wagner mercenary group was over, Blinken said, “we haven’t seen the last act yet.” He added that the U.S. will continue to monitor the situation closely and that the U.S. will continue to stand up for its allies and partners in the region.