German Chancellor Olaf Scholz argued on Wednesday that the recent failed mutiny in Russia has diminished the strength of President Vladimir Putin, although the implications for the ongoing invasion of Ukraine are yet to be determined.
"I believe he is weakened as this shows that the autocratic power structures have cracks in them, and he is not as firmly in the saddle as he always asserts," Scholz told the German broadcaster ARD in an interview. He labeled the Wagner Group's insurrection as part of an internal power struggle in Russia, confirming that Western nations had no involvement in the matter.
Questioned how the rebellion might influence the war, Scholz noted that peace talks could only occur after Russia withdrew its military forces from Ukraine. "Whether this has become easier or harder through these events is unclear," he concluded.