What The Hell Is Going On In Russia or Mr. Prigozhin Don't Stand Too Close To That 7th Floor Window

 Friday, June 30th, 2023

My Dear America:

This Past Weekend was a very strange weekend for all of us who are interested in what is happening and what is going to happen in Russia, Ukraine and Belarus.

It has been well known for some time that Yegevney Prigozhin, the Rogue Leader of the Wagner Group Forces in Ukraine was not happy with what had been going on with the Russian Armed Forces Leadership who were in charge of what the world Calls The "War in Ukraine" and the Russian People are only allowed to call the "Special Military Operation in Ukraine."  Regardless of what it was called, the senseless Invasion of Ukraine by Russia has not been going well for over a year for either the Ukrainians or the Russians.  The only bright spot for the Russians recently was the taking of the Ukrainian City of Bakhmut after a devastating series of battles between mainly Russian Wagner Forces and Ukrainian Forces.  In the end the Ukrainian Freedom Fighters lost out to the Wagner Forces but only after a devastating loss of human lives by both sides, although it was reported that by the end of the Battle for Bakhmut The Wagner Group had lost many more lives than did the Ukrainians.

The Wagner Group has been made up of thousands of Dirty Dozen Type Soldiers.  In other words the Prigozhin led group had been culled from some of the most dangerous Killers and Psychopaths that Prigozhin could find inside Russian Prisons who were willing to agree to kill or be killed in battle in Ukraine and in other dangerous locales in the world including Africa and Syria in exchange for their Freedom and a few Rubles.

Prigozhin made it clear in recent weeks that he was not happy with certain individuals who were in change of the Russian Military Establishment who Prigozhin felt were not supportive enough to the Wagner Troops in Ukraine.  Prigozhin complained bitterly about the lack of ammunition and other needed munitions and equipment.  Prigozhin's complaints seemed to fall on deaf ears within the Russian Military establishment, including Vladimir Putin, Prigozhin's longtime Ally and Boss.  

Reports are that the last straw for Prigozhin was the apparent bombing of a Wagner Military Camp in Ukraine by regular Russian Military forces which killed numerous Wagner Fighters and could have killed Prigozhin.  Prigozhin did not take this Russian military action well.  He gathered up what was left of his Wagner forces in Ukraine and left Ukraine moving his forces to the Russian Military headquarters in Rostov, Russia where for a time Prigozhin appeared to control the Military headquarters.  Following this move it was reported that Prigozhin and his troops were on the road to Moscow where God Knows What was going to happen.

Things were not looking well when Vladimir Putin spoke and declared Prigozhin's actions "Treasonous."

Sometime after this statement by Putin things took a strange turn.  The leader of Belarus, Alexander Lukashenko supposedly reached an agreement with Prigozhin in which Prigozhin would move to Belarus as a Sanctuary and a bloodbath in Moscow and elsewhere in Russia would be avoided.  The agreement supposedly indicated that no charges would be filed against Prigozhin and the Wagner Troops would be absorbed by the Russian Army.

At the present time we don't know the whereabouts of Yevgeny Prigozhin.  One report states that he is in Minsk in Belarus living in the only hotel in Minsk that has no windows.  My advice to Prigozhin is to continue to stay in that hotel in one of the first floor rooms, since it is well known that numerous individuals who have fallen out of favor with Vladimir Putin have also strangely fallen out of high windows in recent times .  

Clearly Vladimir Putin has been tolerant of Prigozhin for a long time but it is hard not to assume that Prigozhin's days are numbered.  Certainly it does not appear as though Prigozhin is going to go quietly into retirement.  He has already opened a serious can of worms for Vladimir Putin by his statements indicating that Vladimir Putin's reasons for starting the War in Ukraine, namely that Putin wanted to rid Ukraine of Nazis, was an outright lie.  

The truth is that neither Putin nor Prigozhin are good people.  Prigozhin at least told the truth about the War in Ukraine but a saint he is not and replacing Putin with Prigozhin would be replacing one Monster with a Worse Monster.  

What does seem to be the case at the present time is that Prigozhin's brief but serious rebellion seems to have shown weakness on the part of Vladimir Putin.  What will happen as the result of that weakness is anybody's guess.  Would Prigozhin be a better leader for Russia.  

No.

But at least Prigozhin would possibly not wish to continue the War in Ukraine.

It will be very interesting to keep an eye on what is happening in Russia in the near future.

Sincerely Yours

Jerry Gallagher