NATO chief: Rebellion shows ‘weakness’ and ‘fragility’ of Putin regime

NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg said Monday that last week’s brief armed rebellion against the Kremlin demonstrated the “weakness” and “fragility” of the Putin regime. 

“I think what we’re seeing in Russia over the last days demonstrates the fragility of the [Russian] regime, and, of course, it is a demonstration of weakness,” Stoltenberg said at a press conference in Lithuania Monday when asked what effect NATO expects the Wagner Group’s rebellion to have on the battlefield in Ukraine. 

“We see the weakness of the Russian regime and it also demonstrates how difficult and dangerous it is for President [Vladimir] Putin to be reliant on mercenaries. That has actually turned against him,” he added. 

Stoltenberg spoke alongside German Defense Minister Boris Pistorius and Lithuanian President Gitanas Nausėda, with whom he was meeting to discuss final preparations for the NATO summit in Vilnius next month.

Wagner Group chief Yevgeny Prigozhin launched an armed rebellion against the Kremlin over the weekend, directing his army of mercenaries to retreat from the front lines in Ukraine and march to Moscow. But within 24 hours, he reversed course, striking a deal with Moscow to take his soldiers and go to Belarus, which said it would grant them amnesty.

Many have suggested the internal strife, especially from a longtime ally of Putin’s, damages the Russian president’s credibility.

But Stoltenberg cautioned against underestimating the Russians and reaffirmed NATO’s commitment to defend Ukraine until the end. 

“It also demonstrates that it is hard to predict exactly what will now happen in the next days and weeks, but we should not make the mistakes that we are underestimating the Russians,” he said. “So, we need to continue to provide support to Ukraine. That’s exactly what NATO and NATO allies are doing with military support but also support for the long term.”

Later Monday, the three leaders visited German and Lithuanian troops training together in exercise “Griffin Storm,” which a press release said “tested the rapid reinforcement of the German-led NATO battlegroup to brigade size.”

“This exercise sends a clear message: NATO is ready to defend every inch of Allied territory,” Stoltenberg said in the press release. “We are demonstrating that we can also reinforce quickly, whenever needed.”