International News
Putin May Seek Revenge On Wagner’s Employer- CIA Director
The director of the CIA, William Burns, has said Russian President Vladimir Putin is trying to buy time as he decides how to handle Yevgeny Prighozin.
The Wagner mercenary group’s leader, Mr. Prigozhin, was in charge of a rebellion that took place in Russia a month ago.
According to William Burns, that revolt showed serious flaws in the authority structure Putin had established.
He warned the Aspen Security Forum that the president of Russia might yet seek revenge on Mr. Prigozhin.
“What we are seeing is a very complicated dance,” the CIA chief said on Thursday.
Mr Prigozhin has moved around but had been in the Belarus capital of Minsk recently as well as Russia, he said when asked about a recent video apparently showing the Wagner boss in Belarus.
Mr Putin is likely to be trying to buy time as he works out how best to deal with the leader of the Wagner group, Mr Burns added.
That mercenary group still has value for Russia’s leadership in places like Africa, Libya and Syria and so it was likely that Mr Putin would try and separate the group from its leader.
“Putin is someone who generally thinks that revenge is a dish best served cold,” Mr Burns said. “In my experience, Putin is the ultimate apostle of payback so I would be surprised if Prigozhin escapes further retribution.”
Earlier this month, US President Joe Biden suggested there was a risk the Wagner boss could be poisoned.
“If I were he I’d be careful what I ate. I’d keep my eye on my menu,” the president quipped.
The CIA director echoed that line saying: “If I were Prigozhin, I wouldn’t fire my food taster.”
The intelligence agency did indeed have advanced knowledge of the mutiny, Mr Burns said, confirming previous reports.
A senior Russian army general, Sergei Surovikin, who was reported to have known about the Wagner mutiny in advance, also does not currently have “freedom of movement”, the CIA chief added.
William Burns confirmed the CIA had advanced knowledge of the mutiny
The mutiny was the most direct assault Mr Putin has seen in his 23 years in power, including by directly challenging the Kremlin’s justification for the war in Ukraine, with Mr Prigozhin saying it had been built on lies, Mr Burns said.
He added that what was most remarkable was that Russia’s leader felt compelled to do a deal with a man who used to be his caterer, the CIA chief said.
Mr Prigozhin is often referred to as “Putin’s chef” as he first came to prominence after providing catering services to Mr Putin and the military before founding the Wagner group.
Mr Putin has projected an image of himself as the arbiter of order in Russia, and so the 36 hours of the mutiny will have left many in the country with the question of “whether the emperor had no clothes or at least why is it taking him so long to get dressed”, Mr Burns said.
This would have resurrected deeper questions in the Russian elite about Mr Putin’s judgement, which have been there since his decision to launch a full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022.
If Ukraine makes further advances on the battlefield then that could lead more Russians to pay attention to Mr Prigozhin’s critique of the war, he said.
It should not come as surprise that Ukraine’s counter-offensive was proving a “hard slog”, the CIA head said, given that offence was harder than defence and the Russians had months to prepare.
“It is going to take time and it is not going to be easy to make progress. I am however an optimist,” Mr Burns said.
In addition, he claimed that by bombing Black Sea commerce and attributing it on the Ukrainians, Russia may have been engaging in a false flag operation.
President-elect Donald Trump has announced plans to take sweeping actions against what he described as “transgender lunacy,” signaling a push to reverse policies protecting transgender individuals in schools, sports, and the military.
Speaking at the AmericaFest conference in Phoenix, Trump outlined his administration’s priorities, stating, “I will sign executive orders to end child sexual mutilation, get transgender out of the military, and out of our elementary schools, middle schools, and high schools.”
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He also vowed to “keep men out of women’s sports” and asserted, “It will be the official policy of the United States government that there are only two genders, male and female.”
The president-elect’s remarks come amid growing national debate over transgender rights, with states divided over issues such as gender-affirming medical care and the inclusion of books addressing transgender topics in schools.
The controversy escalated last week when Congress passed a defense budget provision blocking funding for certain gender-affirming care for the children of service members.
Trump’s speech drew strong reactions, with critics warning that his policies could strip essential protections from transgender individuals.
Civil rights advocates have raised concerns about the implications of these proposals on marginalized communities.
In addition to his focus on cultural issues, Trump used the event to outline his vision for the nation under his leadership.
He described his presidency as a turning point, promising to address international conflicts and restore American dominance.
“On January 20, the United States will turn the page forever on four long, horrible years of failure, incompetence, national decline, and we will inaugurate a new era of peace, prosperity, and national greatness,” Trump declared, referring to his upcoming swearing-in.
He pledged to end the war in Ukraine, stabilize the Middle East, and avert global conflict. “I will stop the chaos in the Middle East, and I will prevent, I promise, World War III,” he said.
The president-elect also reiterated his commitment to reclaiming control of the Panama Canal and combating crime linked to illegal immigration.
“I can proudly proclaim that the golden age of America is upon us,” Trump concluded.
A Madrid court on Friday handed down a sentence of more than four years in prison to Rodrigo Rato, the former chief of the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and Spain’s ex-economy minister.
Rato was convicted of multiple charges, including tax crimes, money laundering, and corruption.
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The court found Rato guilty of “three offences against the treasury, one offence of money laundering, and one offence of corruption between individuals,” according to an official statement.
Details shortly………..
South Korean President, Yoon Suk Yeol has been banned from leaving the country, the Justice Ministry confirmed Monday, following a week of political chaos triggered by his brief declaration of martial law.
The ban marks the first time a sitting president has faced such a restriction in the nation’s history.
Recall that on December 3, Yoon ordered special forces and helicopters to the National Assembly in an attempt to impose martial law.
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Lawmakers swiftly overturned the decree, forcing Yoon to rescind the order. Although he survived an impeachment motion on Saturday, public anger has continued to mount, with large protests demanding his resignation.
Authorities are now investigating Yoon and his close allies for their roles in last week’s events, including allegations of insurrection.
Among those facing travel bans are former Defense Minister Kim Yong-Hyun, who is in custody, and former Interior Minister Lee Sang-min.
General Park An-su, who led the martial law operation, and Defence Counterintelligence Commander Yeo In-hyung have also been barred from leaving the country.
General Park was questioned by investigators on Monday as the probe intensified.
Yoon’s impeachment failed after members of his ruling People Power Party (PPP) walked out of the National Assembly, denying the opposition the required two-thirds majority.
In exchange for their support, Yoon reportedly agreed to delegate his powers to the prime minister and the PPP chairman.
“This is an unlawful, unconstitutional act of a second insurrection and a second coup,” said Park Chan-dae, floor leader of the opposition Democratic Party.
Critics argue that Yoon’s decision to hand power to unelected officials violates the constitution.
“It seems to resemble an unconstitutional soft coup,” said Kim Hae-won, a constitutional law professor at Pusan National University.
“Their attitude of placing themselves above the constitution mirrors that of insurrectionist Yoon Suk Yeol,” added Park Chan-dae.
Despite Yoon’s apology for the “anxiety and inconvenience” caused by his martial law order, his approval rating has plummeted to 11%, according to a recent Gallup poll.
Opposition leaders have announced plans for a second impeachment vote on Saturday, with massive protests expected outside the National Assembly.
The PPP’s claim that Yoon can remain in office while delegating his powers to party officials has also been widely criticized.
“If there are issues with the president, the constitution lays out clear procedures, such as suspension or impeachment,” said Professor Kim Hae-won.
The ongoing crisis has raised concerns about South Korea’s leadership amid tensions with nuclear-armed North Korea.
The Defense Ministry confirmed Monday that Yoon remains the official commander in chief, despite questions about his authority.
“Legally, (control of military forces) currently lies with the commander in chief,” said Defense Ministry spokesperson Jeon Ha-Kyou.
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