Fighting in Putin’s government ‘destroying’ Russian state, Wagner chief warns

Russian mercenary leader Yevgeny Prigozhin said on Saturday that Kremlin factions were destroying the state by trying to sow discord between him and Chechen fighters.

That row had now been settled but infighting in the Kremlin had opened a Pandora’s Box of rifts, he said.

Prigozhin, a 62-year-old former restauranteur who founded the Wagner mercenary group and is a member of President Vladimir Putin’s wider circle, has gained widespread notoriety during the 15-month war in Ukraine.

His troops have spearheaded battles in the city of Bakhmut and elsewhere, but he has also rowed with the Russian military over tactics, logistical support and other issues.

Prigozhin said a dispute between him and Chechen forces who are also fighting alongside the Russian army in Ukraine had been resolved. But he laid the blame for the discord on unidentified Kremlin factions – which he calls “Kremlin towers”.

Their scheming had got so out of hand that Putin had been forced to scold them at a Security Council meeting, he said.

“Pandora’s Box is already open – we are not the ones who opened it,” Prigozhin said in a message posted by his press service. “Some Kremlin tower decided to play dangerous games.”

“Dangerous games have become commonplace in the Kremlin towers…they are simply destroying the Russian state.”

He did not identify the Kremlin faction but said that it continued its attempts to sow discord, it would have “hell to pay”. The Kremlin did not comment on his remarks.

Volodymyr Zelensky has shared a message of condolence after the train crash in Odisha.

He tweeted on Saturday: “On behalf of myself and the people of Ukraine, I express my deepest condolences to Prime Minister @narendramodi and all relatives and friends of those killed in the train accident in the state of Odisha.

“We share the pain of your loss. We wish a speedy recovery for all those injured.”

Here are some of Saturday’s headlines:

First up, the leader of Russian mercenary group Wagner said on Saturday that infighting between Kremlin factions had opened a Pandora’s Box of rifts. “Pandora’s Box is already open – we are not the ones who opened it,” Yevgeny Prigozhin said in a message posted by his press service. See above for more on this one.

Concerns around civilian safety spiked in Ukraine on Saturday, as officials announced that an inspection had found nearly a quarter of the country’s air-raid shelters locked or unusable, just days after a woman in Kyiv allegedly died waiting outside a shuttered shelter during a Russian missile barrage. Full story here.

Leaders and negotiators from three countries with interests in Russia and Ukraine are set for meetings and decisions this weekend. Here is a brief round-up:

Firstly, Turkey’s longtime president, Recep Tayyip Erdogan, is to be sworn in for his third term on Saturday. The country of 85 million controls NATO’s second-largest army, hosts millions of refugees and played a crucial role in brokering a deal that allowed the shipment of Ukraine grain, averting a global food crisis.

Pope Francis is traveling to Mongolia at the end of the summer, a visit that will be a first for a pontiff and one rich in geopolitical significance given its proximity to Russia and China.

The Vatican on Saturday confirmed the August 31 to September 4 trip to the landlocked US-allied country sandwiched between Russia and China, two countries popes have never visited.

The visit comes as Francis is trying to toe a diplomatic line in his relations with both countries: With Moscow, Francis is seeking an opening for a peace envoy to nudge Russia and Ukraine to negotiations to end the war.

France can hardly be a “moderator” in the Ukrainian conflict due to its active participation in it, Kremlin Spokesman Dmitry Peskov said.

Peskov told Russian state television reporter Pavel Zarubin that, at the same time, President Vladimir Putin is open to any contacts in order to achieve Russia‘s goals.

The United States and its allies clashed with Russia and China on Friday over North Korea’s failed launch of a military spy satellite this week in violation of multiple U.N. Security Council resolutions, which Moscow and Beijing refused to condemn.

The confrontation was the latest over the North’s escalating nuclear, ballistic missile and military programs, which U.S. deputy ambassador Robert Wood warned are threatening international peace and security. The failed launch “not only disrupted maritime and air traffic in the region, but it also caused alarm for its neighbors in Japan and the Republic of Korea,” he said.

Pyongyang is threatening another launch soon.

Michael and Kristine Barnett, of Indiana, decided in 2010 to open their home to a disabled six-year-old from Ukraine — or so they thought.

What followed was a rapid cascade of suspicion and allegations that led to the demise of their marriage, criminal charges against each of them and an unbelievable tale that questions the innocence of all involved, writes Sheila Flynn:

Russia warned the United States on Saturday it should stop brandishing ultimatums over the collapse of arms control agreements, saying Moscow would only return to a nuclear arms reduction treaty if Washington abandons its hostile stance.

Russia and the United States, by far the biggest nuclear powers, have both expressed regret about the disintegration of the tangle of arms control treaties which sought to slow the Cold War arms race and reduce the risk of nuclear war.

Amid the crisis triggered by the Ukraine conflict, President Vladimir Putin announced in February that Russia was suspending participation in the New START treaty – an agreement signed in 2010 that limits the number of Russian and U.S. deployed strategic nuclear warheads.

The United States said this week it would stop providing Russia some notifications required under the treaty, including updates on its missile and launcher locations, to retaliate for Moscow’s “ongoing violations” of the accord.

Russia‘s point man for arms control, Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov, said Washington had informed Moscow about the move ahead of going public with it so it was no surprise.

But Ryabkov said the pillars of arms control were collapsing and were in a “semi-lethal” condition due to what he cast as the hostile policies of the United States.

“Talking to the Russian Federation in the language of ultimatums just does not work,” Ryabkov told Russia‘s three main news agencies.

“Through the fault of the United States, many elements of the former architecture in this area have either been completely destroyed or moved in a semi-lethal state.”

Indonesia’s defence minister on Saturday proposed a peace plan to end the war in Ukraine, calling for a demilitarised zone and a United Nations referendum in what he called disputed territory.

Ukrainian foreign ministry spokesperson Oleg Nikolenko dismissed the plan, reiterating Kyiv’s position that Russia should withdraw its troops from Ukraine.

Prabowo Subianto called on defence and military officials from around the world, gathered at the Shangri-La Dialogue defence meeting in Singapore, to issue a declaration calling for a cessation in hostilities.

He proposed a multi-point plan including a ceasefire and establishing a demilitarised zone by withdrawing 15 kilometres (nearly 10 miles) from each party’s forward position.

The demilitarised zone should be observed and monitored by a peacekeeping force deployed by the UN, he said, adding that a UN referendum should be held “to ascertain objectively the wishes of the majority of the inhabitants of the various disputed areas”.

“I propose that the Shangri-La dialogue find a mode of … voluntary declaration urging both Ukraine and Russia to immediately start negotiations for peace,” Prabowo said.

Nikolenko said Russia had committed the act of aggression, occupying Ukrainian territories, and any proposals for a ceasefire would allow it to regroup and reinforce.

“There are no disputed territories between Ukraine and the Russian Federation to hold referendums there,” he said.

“In the occupied territories, the Russian army commits war crimes, crimes against humanity and genocide. Russia is now trying in every possible way to disrupt the Ukrainian counteroffensive.”

Russia has denied Ukrainian accusations of war crimes and genocide.