NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg said the short-lived mutiny by Wagner group mercenaries in Russia shows President Vladimir Putin’s Ukraine invasion is backfiring.
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NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg said the short-lived mutiny by Wagner group mercenaries in Russia shows President Vladimir Putin’s Ukraine invasion is backfiring.
Leader Yevgeny Prigozhin abandoned his advance toward Moscow late Saturday, defusing the biggest threat to Putin’s almost quarter-century grip on power. What remain, though, are questions over the future of both men.
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All times are CET
Criminal Case Against Prigozhin Still Open (2:50 p.m.)
A criminal investigation into Prigozhin’s rebellion remains opens, state news agencies reported, citing unidentified sources.
On Saturday, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said that as part of the deal that de-escalated the situation, the case would be closed. He didn’t specify when. Two Russian lawyers told Bloomberg that technical procedures mean it may take time to close down criminal cases once formally opened.
Ukraine’s Bonds Lead Gains in Emerging Markets (2:38 p.m.)
Several of Ukraine’s international bonds rose to wartime highs on Monday, albeit from deeply distressed levels. The $3.2 billion of 2041 notes, whose payouts are linked to future economic growth, hit their highest levels since Russia started its invasion in February last year — trading at nearly 40 cents on the dollar.
Bonds have been buoyed in past weeks by hopes for more western financing for Kyiv, as well as a push to use frozen Russian assets to pay for reconstruction.
In Moscow, the ruble was trading 0.2% stronger against the dollar as of 3:30 p.m. after falling as much as 3% at the open of trading. Russian stocks declined, partially erasing the gain of recent months.
Sweden and Turkey Agree to Meeting on NATO Bid (2:04 p.m.)
Sweden and Turkey agreed to hold a meeting to discuss Stockholm’s bid to join NATO. It will be held before the alliance’s leaders summit in Vilnius next month and Stoltenberg said it will include foreign ministers, heads of intelligence and national security advisers.
Putin Speaks with Leaders of Iran and Qatar (1:22 p.m.)
Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi expressed full support to the Russian leadership during a call with Putin, the Kremlin said. Putin also spoke with Qatari Emir Tamim Bin Hamad Al Thani.
Ukraine Calls for More Weapons After Russian Mutiny (1:16 p.m.)
Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba urged European Union states to provide Ukraine with more weapons and ammo to confront Russia, saying the mutiny by Wagner mercenaries underscored the weakness of Putin and his government.
He also called for his EU counterparts to tighten sanctions against Russia’s nuclear sector, digital technology, diamond sales, maritime logistics and finances ahead.
Permanent German Brigade Ready for Lithuania (12:15 p.m.)
Defense Minister Boris Pistorius said Germany is prepared to station a permanent brigade of some 4,000 troops in Lithuania to help shore up NATO’s eastern flank against potential Russian aggression.
Chancellor Olaf Scholz’s government previously said the German military contingent would operate on a rotational basis. Saying the situation in Russia “seems to be very unstable” after Prigozhin’s mutiny, Pistorius also reinforced Germany’s commitment to the security of the Baltic states.
NATO Calls Russian Events Internal Matter (11:29 a.m.)
NATO is monitoring the situation in Russia closely, Stoltenberg said. “The events over the weekend are an internal Russia matter, and yet another demonstration of the big strategic mistake that President Putin made,” he told reporters in Vilnius.
The alliance is also monitoring the situation in Belarus, while condemning Russia’s announcement that it will deploy nuclear weapons there, Stoltenberg added. NATO doesn’t see any indication that Russia is preparing to use such arms, he added.
Lithuania Calls for Reinforcements on Eastern Flank (11 a.m.)
Lithuanian Foreign Minister Gabrielius Landsbergis said NATO should look at how to reinforce its eastern flank after the latest developments in Russia. Russia is an “unpredictable” neighbor and we “still believe that countries that border Belarus, Russia are in a dangerous situation, are in a vulnerable in situation,” he said.
Prigozhin May Threaten Belarus, Opposition Says (10:08 a.m.)
Prigozhin’s relocation to Belarus has created a new threat to the country’s independence as well as the safety of its NATO neighbors, exiled Belarus opposition leader Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya said.
“If Prigozhin comes to Belarus with his thugs, it will threaten our neighbors too — Poland, Lithuania, Latvia,” Tsikhanouskaya said in an interview with Bloomberg TV.
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