Members of Congress ripped Wagner Group boss Yevgeny Prigozhin Saturday as a “would-be strongman” — with some claiming the “bloodthirsty” mercenary was possible “more dangerous” than Vladimir Putin.
“Prigozhin is nobody’s friend and not less dangerous than Putin (and potentially more dangerous),” tweeted Rep. Jason Crow (D-Co.). “This will almost certainly benefit the Ukrainian counteroffensive in the near term and should move fast to capitalize.”
Texas Democrat Rep. Joaquin Castro went further, calling Prigozhin “a ruthless, bloodthirsty mercenary who is as bad as, arguably worse than, Putin.”
Sen. Tom Cotton (R-Ak.) portrayed Prigozhin as a “would-be strongman.”
“Neither Putin’s survival nor his fall would change our main interests which are deterring Russian aggression against NATO allies and helping Ukraine recover territory lost to Russia,” said Cotton.
“Neither Putin’s survival nor his fall would change our main interests which are deterring Russian aggression against NATO allies and helping Ukraine recover territory lost to Russia,” said Sen. Tom Cotton. APLong Island GOP Rep. Nick LaLota added: “The Wagner Group & Yevgeny Prigozhin are not our allies”
On Friday, the Wagner Group — a mercenary force fighting for Russia in Ukraine — turned against the Kremlin, seizing the southern city of Rostov-on-Don and by Saturday afternoon was on the march toward Moscow. Vladimir Putin, Russia’s longtime strongman, has reportedly fled the capital.
New York GOP Rep. Lawler, a member of the House Foreign Affairs Committee told The Post “Vladimir Putin has employed the Wagner Group as paid mercenaries to do his dirty work for years, including in Ukraine. After a prolonged war, strategic differences, and catastrophic losses, now they’ve turned on him. Consider me shocked.”
Texas Democrat Rep. Joaquin Castro called Prigozhin “a ruthless, bloodthirsty mercenary who is as bad as, arguably worse than, Putin.” TELEGRAM/ @concordgroup_official/AFP via Getty Images
Michael McFaul, a former United States ambassador to Russia noted, “anything that weakens Putin is good for Ukraine.” Telegram @concordgroup_official//AFP via Getty ImagesOthers suggested the internal strife could redound to Ukraine’s benefit.
“This is the clearest public confirmation of the folly of Putin’s invasion of Ukraine. And remember: Wagner, a private military force, was brought into Ukraine & put on the frontlines because of the failures of Russia’s regular military,” said Rep. Elissa Slotkin (D-Mich.) in a lengthy Twitter thread Saturday.
“This isn’t just a problem for Putin inside Russia – it calls into question whether Russia can withstand Ukraine’s summer offensive. Wagner led some of the small military victories in Ukraine, so this is a chance for Ukraine’s forces to further liberate their land – stay tuned.”
Everything to know about the Wagner Group's attack on Russia
Wagner Group chief Yevgeny Prigozhin and his mercenary fighting force will not face charges and will instead be exiled despite leading an armed insurrection against Moscow on Saturday, the Kremlin said.
Prigozhin, owner and founder of the mercenary organization, called for an armed rebellion and threatened to rush Moscow in order to oust the official whom he accused of ordering the bombing of his war camps in Ukraine.
However, Prigozhin eventually agreed to halt the Wagner Group’s advance on Moscow just 120 miles from the capital after a day-long negotiation the mercenary leader had with Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko, who was given permission to broker a deal with Progozhin by Russian President Vladimir Putin.
Putin’s presidential plane left Moscow early Saturday, sparking rumors that he had fled the Russian capital as the Wagner Group’s forces advanced on the city.
The president’s aircraft was spotted on flight radar flying northwest from Moscow to the St. Petersburg area — but then disappeared from the system near the city of Tver, the BBC reported, where Putin owns a large rural retreat.
Before entering Congress, Slotkin worked as a CIA analyst and was an Acting Assistant Secretary of Defense under former President Obama.
Michael McFaul, a former United States ambassador to Russia noted that “no matter how it ends, Prigozhin’s activities in the last 24 hours have weakened Putin. Anything that weakens Putin is good for Ukraine.”
“Our national security agencies are closely following the extraordinary internal conflict among Russian forces currently underway. No matter how this turns it is certain to have a significant and potentially historic impact,” added Sen. Marco Rubio (R-Fla.) late Friday evening.
Members of the Wagner group stand on the balcony of the circus building in the city of Rostov-on-Don, on June 24, 2023. AFP via Getty ImagesAmong 2024 presidential candidates, Vivek Ramaswamy said the Wagner rebellion was “one more piece of evidence that Russia is likely a paper tiger.”
The possible coup comes 15 months after President Biden called for regime change in Russia.
“For God’s sake, this man cannot remain in power,” Biden thundered in a fiery speech during a visit to Warsaw in March 2022.
The White House did not respond to requests for comment from The Post.
Adam Hodge, a rep for the National Security Council told Politico “We are monitoring the situation and are consulting with allies and partners on these developments.”
