The mercenary boss was repeatedly said to have political ambitions.
(Photo: dpa)
London At the heart of the fighting in eastern Ukraine, mercenaries from the Russian Wagner Group are on the front lines. Again and again they attack the Ukrainian positions in Bakhmut in Donetsk. According to Kiev sources, the mercenaries suffered heavy losses.
Her boss Yevgeny Prigozhin never tires of praising what he sees as the outstanding role played by his private army in the war. He was long considered a protégé and confidante of President Vladimir Putin. He hosted banquets and parties for the President in the early 2000s and became known as “Putin’s cook”.
In Russia, the 61-year-old has become a leading voice among war commentators, who has also taken the liberty of jabbing at representatives of the regular army. Western observers have already begun to speculate that Prigozhin is aiming for a political career.
But now there are increasing signs that the Kremlin wants to limit the growing political weight of the mercenary leader.
Prigozhin caused a stir last year by recruiting criminals from Russian prisons for his mercenary troupe. In doing so, he secured constant replacements for fallen fighters.
Prigozhin cannot recruit new prisoners
Last week he admitted that he was no longer allowed to recruit prisoners. The leader of a prisoner rights initiative, Olga Romanova, told Reuters the Defense Ministry took over convict recruitment earlier this year. The ministry did not comment on this information.
Former government adviser Sergei Markov, who boasts of good contacts, told Reuters that the Kremlin does not want Prigozhin in politics. “They’re a little scared of him and think he’s an uncomfortable person.”
Kremlin specialist Tatiana Stanovaya shares this assessment. In an article for the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, she wrote that Prigozhin was not imminent. But his ties to the presidential administration were beginning to crumble.
The Wagner boss and the Russian President are said to have had a familiar relationship for years.
(Photo: Reuters)
According to this, Prigozhin’s demagogic performances did not go down well with leading political circles. The 61-year-old’s verbal attacks on authorities and military representatives as well as on Putin’s employees were badly received – especially the threat to found a party. “He has gradually turned into a politician with his own views,” says Stanovaya.
Putin could have personally asked Prigozhin to give in
According to Markov, Prigozhin has already given in. Apparently this was done under pressure. “The message is: We will provide you with military assets, but do not get involved in politics for now,” Markov said. In a recent interview, Prigozhin himself asserted that he had no political ambitions whatsoever.
Markov suspects that at a meeting around January 14 in St. Petersburg, Putin himself asked Prigozhin to stop publicly criticizing the top leadership. The former government advisor admits that he does not know all the details of the alleged meeting. Reuters was initially unable to verify its information. However, the meeting in St. Petersburg was confirmed by at least one participant who reported about it on social media. The Russian government does not want to comment officially on this.
In an interview last Friday, Prigozhin gave indications of a change in behavior. Looking at the camera, he assured that he had not criticized anyone. Last year he more or less openly mocked leading military figures.
The 61-year-old repeatedly made verbal attacks on the Russian military leadership in the Ukraine war.
(Photo: imago/ITAR-TASS)
Another indication that Prigozhin was taken on board can be found in the social network Grauzone, which is close to the Wagner group. A document was published there that appears to be a government directive for the press. The recipients of the document are advised not to mention Prigozhin or Wagner by name and instead use general descriptions.
Reuters could not verify the document. State media are not allowed to pass on such guidelines. Markov confirmed the instruction to refrain from advertising the mercenary leader. “They emphasized, ‘We don’t ban you, but it’s better if you don’t’.”
The head of the US think tank Silverado Policy Accelerator, Dmitry Alperovich, also believes that Prigozhin has been put on a clear damper. He has the feeling that Prigozhin’s room for maneuver is getting smaller and smaller. “Prigozhin’s star is fading. He has taken his criticism of the military and other elites too far,” Alperovich tweeted. “Now his wings will be clipped.”
More: Outrageous luxury, corruption – this is how Putin’s military elite lives