00:00Vladimir Putin's war in Ukraine has gone less than ideal for him.
00:03However, one of his best weapons during the invasion has been the Wagner Group,
00:06or the Russian mercenary organization headed by Yevgeny Prigozhin.
00:10Though recently, Prigozhin has made several statements,
00:13many of them publicly, calling Russian leadership cowards and most recently clowns.
00:18It has many wondering.
00:19In a country like Russia where political dissenters are often punished,
00:22Prigozhin has evaded such retribution.
00:24And now we might know why.
00:26The Washington Post reports that former Kremlin speechwriter now living in exile,
00:30Abbas Galyamov, said that Putin isn't punishing the Wagner Group's leader because he's afraid to,
00:34telling the news outlet, quote,
00:36The regime simply cannot afford to repress representatives of the patriotic camp,
00:40which is already not very pleased with the president.
00:43He unleashed the war, but still cannot win it.
00:45This all comes as even Russian nationalists have become critics of the war,
00:49saying leadership screwed up the attack on Ukraine, and they are now fed up with the invasion.
00:53This all brings the topic of Russia's leadership power dynamic into question,
00:57where once it seemed unassailable.
00:59Now questions arise as to whether someone else might make a play for Putin's position.
01:04And perhaps the Wagner Group's Prigozhin has the clout and the means to do so.
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