Putin delivers first speech since Wagner rebellion | 'No logic Ukraine is behind it' says Kira Rudik
In his first speech since the Wagner rebellion, Russian President Vladimir Putin addressed the nation and called for the organizers of the coup to be punished. He accused them of betraying their country and pushing Russian soldiers to shoot their own people. Putin mentioned that the rebellion was the desired outcome of Russia’s enemies, including neo-Nazis in Ukraine and their Western supporters. He emphasized that the West and NATO had no involvement in the mutiny.
Meanwhile, in the United States, President Joe Biden responded to Putin’s accusations, stating that the West had nothing to do with the rebellion. He convened with key allies to ensure a coordinated response and to avoid giving Putin any excuse to blame the West or NATO. Biden characterized the uprising as part of a struggle within the Russian system.
Kira Rudik, the leader of the Golos party in Ukraine’s Parliament, reacted to Putin’s speech, highlighting that there are no “good guys” in the conflict. She viewed the rebellion as a fight between different groups of Russians who wanted to harm Ukraine. Rudik pointed out that the revelation of Putin’s weakness, as demonstrated by the rebellion, could be an opportunity for Ukraine to push forward with their own counter-offensive and stabilize the situation in Russia.