As Russian forces scramble to block all roads to Moscow in response to the advance of Wagner fighters towards the capital, President Vladimir Putin appears to be calling in reinforcements.
Putin reportedly reached out to Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko and Kazakhstani President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev for support, as per statements from the press offices of both countries' presidents. Yet, these crucial phone calls have not been confirmed on the Kremlin's official website.
Faced with what he describes as an "armed mutiny" led by Yevgeny Prigozhin, the head of the Wagner mercenary group, Putin voewed a harsh response in his national address. Prigozhin's forces have reportedly seized control of a strategic city on the border with Ukraine and are now advancing towards Moscow.
The Belarus President's press office disclosed that "Vladimir Putin informed his Belarusian counterpart about the situation in Russia."
Similarly, the Akorda presidential palace of Kazakhstan announced, "Vladimir Putin briefed on the situation in the country. Kassym-Jomart Tokayev noted that the ongoing events are an internal affair of Russia. Constitutional order and the rule of law are a sine qua non for the maintenance of law and order in a country."
With the country in a state of high alert, it was earlier reported that on Putin's request the leader of Chechnya, Ramzan Kadyrov, who is known for his close ties with the Russian President, dispatched his military forces to aid in quelling the mutiny.
In January 2022, Putin deployed his paratroopers to suppress a countrywide uprising in Kazakhstan. Against this backdrop, local media suggest that Putin's latest phone calls could be an attempt to enlist similar assistance from these neighboring countries.
The mobilization of troops and potential invitation of foreign troops on Russian soil underscores the seriousness of the threat Putin faces, and raises questions about the level of trust he places in his own military in this rapidly escalating crisis.
