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Russian President Vladimir Putin (center) and the leader of Russia’s Wagner Group mercenary group Yevgeny Prigozhin (left). Photo/REUTERS
MOSCOW – A key ally of the President Russia Vladimir Putin said the Kremlin’s top brass were afraid of the leader Wagner Group Yevgeny Prigozhin.
The Wagner Group is a mercenary group that fights on behalf of Russia in Ukraine . But the Kremlin denies having any links to the group.
Sergei Markov, a political analyst who is also a key Putin ally, said the Kremlin was now asking state television experts not to overly promote Prigozhin and the Wagner Group.
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The mercenary group has dominated Russia’s combat role in eastern Ukraine. The West even describes it as Russia’s military “main rival” in the struggle for influence.
Markov told The New York Times that some Kremlin leaders feared the “unfathomable” Prigozhin.
“The Kremlin sent a directive to experts on Russian state television not to overly promote Prigozhin and Wagner,” Markov said.
He did not say exactly who had made the request, only clarifying that it had come from the Russian “leadership”.
“They don’t seem to want to take him into politics because he’s so unpredictable — they’re a little afraid of him,” he said, as quoted by Newsweek, Monday (13/2/2023).
Markov’s remarks are the latest indication of escalating tensions between the Kremlin and Prigozhin.
