Foreign Intelligence Suspected in Failed Wagner PMC Coup Attempt, Says Serbian President
TEHRAN (Tasnim) – Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic asserted on Sunday that foreign intelligence services likely played a role in the failed coup attempt by the Wagner PMC in Russia on Saturday.
In an interview with Serbia's Pink TV channel, Vucic emphasized that Belgrade does not support coups in other nations as a matter of principle. "We didn't support it in Turkey or Russia, we wouldn't support it in America, either," he stated, underlining that changes in governance should only occur through the will of citizens expressed in elections.
"I don't want to say who was involved from the outside, but have no doubts," Vucic stated without providing any further details or evidence, citing "foreign services."
According to the Serbian president, the masterminds behind the failed coup attempt employed a cunning strategy that involved attacking the Russian president indirectly, without explicitly targeting him. Vucic also acknowledged that some of the mutineers' grievances, particularly those related to corruption allegations, were valid. However, he emphasized that regardless of the concerns, they did not justify betraying one's country.
Vucic suggested that certain unspecified forces had "high expectations" for the Wagner PMC insurrection. He commended Russian President Vladimir Putin for his handling of the crisis, noting that it was swiftly resolved due to the Russian president's resolute and decisive response.
Speaking to the nation on Saturday, Putin denounced the armed mutiny as a "betrayal" and a "knife in the back" of Russia and its people. He warned that during a time when the country was engaged in a tough struggle for its future, any internal strife could be exploited by enemies to undermine the nation from within.
In related reports, Politico stated on Saturday that American officials saw the events in Russia as presenting an opportunity for the Ukrainian counteroffensive.
The New York Times, citing anonymous sources, reported the same day that US intelligence agencies strongly suspected Evgeny Prigozhin was planning a significant move against the Russian government. President Joe Biden and his administration were allegedly briefed on this as early as Wednesday.