The Intelligence from The Economist Palace intrigue: the Kremlin after the mutiny
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Jul 21, 2023 
Arkady Ostrovsky, Russia and Eastern Europe editor for The Economist, discusses the recent fallout from the Wagner group's mutiny against Putin. He highlights how this rebellion signifies a weakened Kremlin and explores the fractures in military loyalty. The implications for the Ukraine conflict are critical, with internal strife potentially impacting battlefield dynamics. The conversation also shifts to climate challenges in India, linking weather disasters to urban planning failures, before briefly touching on the cultural phenomena of Barbie and Oppenheimer.
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Putin's Humiliation
- The Prigozhin mutiny exposed weaknesses in Putin's regime and the decay of the Russian state.
- Putin's response further highlighted his weakened position.
Prigozhin's Fate
- Despite Putin's earlier pronouncements, Prigozhin, labeled a traitor, later met with Putin in the Kremlin.
- Prigozhin's business empire remains largely intact, raising questions about the deal's true nature.
Putin's Strategy
- Putin avoids openly purging loyalists to maintain an appearance of unity.
- Public criticism from within pro-war factions poses a bigger threat to Putin than anti-war opposition.