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Commentary
Wall Street Journal

It’s Too Early to Count Putin Out

The Wagner rebellion made him look weak, but brutal leaders have survived worse.

walter_russell_mead
walter_russell_mead
Ravenel B. Curry III Distinguished Fellow in Strategy and Statesmanship
A screen grab captured from a video shows Wagner chief Yevgeny Prigozhin making a speech in Rostov-on-Don, Russia, on June 24, 2023. (Wagner/Anadolu Agency via Getty Images)
Caption
A screen grab captured from a video shows Wagner chief Yevgeny Prigozhin making a speech in Rostov-on-Don, Russia, on June 24, 2023. (Wagner/Anadolu Agency via Getty Images)

Winston Churchill reportedly said that Kremlin political intrigues are like “a bulldog fight under a rug,” and that the only way outsiders know who won is when the bones of the loser fly out.

As of press time, both dogs were still growling. The Kremlin says that rebellious Wagner warlord Yevgeny Prigozhin is still under criminal investigation. Mr. Prigozhin, who by Monday afternoon hadn’t taken up the proffered sanctuary in Belarus, kept issuing statements.