Yevgeniy Prigozhin the Russian tycoon has been identified as the key ally who reportedly met earlier this month with Russian PresidentVladimir Putin.
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The meeting took place in the Kremlin and behind doors and the subject was to criticise the Russian handling of the Ukraine war, Sky News reports.
Notorious reputation, furious rise to power
Prigozhin has been merely known as ‘Putin’s Chef’ until it was revealed by a Foreign Policy report, that he is the founder of the infamous ‘Wagner Mercenary Group’ that is behind Vladimir Putin’s dirty jobs on at least three continents.
The ‘Wagner Group’ is reportedly behind massacres and atrocities in Ukrainian cities like Bucha, and has been accused by the west of war crimes in Syria, Libya, and Mali, Business Insider reports.
The Russian billionaire has a notorious reputation, and in 2022 he experienced a furious rise to power.
Former senior White House Official,Fiona Hill, commented on the meeting between Putin and Prigozhin, saying, the Russian system is under stress, The Washington Postreports.
‘People like Prigozhin now see a chance to grab for the brass ring, This really shows the system is under stress when people start pushing themselves forward like this.’
The previous outcry led to the private meeting with Putin
An earlier US intelligence report revealed that Prigozhin criticized the Russian Defense Ministry over their handling of the situation in Ukraine.
‘The Russian Army is relying too heavily on Wagner mercenaries while giving them insufficient support.’
However, in a statement Prigozhin denied that he met or spoke to Vladimir Putin or that he has criticized Russia’s army, The Washington Post reports.
‘First, I did not communicate personally with Vladimir Vladimirovich Putin either recently or in any foreseeable future. I did not criticize the management of the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation during the conflict in Ukraine. Therefore, I cannot comment on anything.’
Nevertheless, it remains unclear if Prigozhin simply wants increasingly more influence in the Russian Army or whether he has higher political ambitions, as many analysts see him as a likely successor if Vladimir Putin is ousted.
Sources used:
-Sky News: ‘Putin privately confronted by mercenary chief over handling of war - report’
-Foreign Policy: ‘Putin’s Chef’ Steps Out of the Shadows’
-Business Insider: ‘Russian billionaire behind mercenary army in Ukraine confronted Putin about botching the war, report says’
-Washington Post: ‘Mercenary chief vented to Putin over Ukraine war bungling’
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