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Turkey’s Erdogan phones Putin to express support
Vladimir Putin has been hitting the phone to call his allies, the leaders of Uzbekistan, Belarus and Khazakstan.
But in the case of Turkey, a NATO member, President Recep Tayyip Erdogan called Putin to express his support.
Russian President Vladimir Putin, right, shakes hands with Turkey’s President Recep Tayyip Erdogan.Credit: Kremlin
The Kremlin said the leaders spoke “at the initiative of the Turkish side.”
“The President of Russia informed his counterpart on the situation in the country in connection with an attempted armed mutiny,” he said.
“The President of the Republic of Turkey expressed full support for the steps taken by the Russian leadership.”
The Turkish Presidency said Erdogan told Putin that Turkey was ready to do its part to help bring about a peaceful solution to the situation
Wagner advancing to Moscow, sighted in Lipetsk
Wagner Group forces are making progress in their advance to Moscow.
The Governor of the Lipetsk region, which is between the city of Voronezh and Moscow, has confirmed that Wagner equipment was sighted being moved around the region.
“Law enforcement agencies and authorities, including in the municipalities, are taking all necessary measures to ensure the safety of the population,” Igor Artamonov said in a message posted on his Telegram channel.
“The situation is under control. There is no disruption of critical infrastructure.
“Since nightfall, my team and representatives of all the agencies have been at the operational headquarters.
“We are in touch with all the district heads and services. Everyone is working in a clear and coordinated manner.”
He urged residents to remain in their homes.
What the world is saying (or not saying)
They aren’t saying a lot publicly, preferring to let the events in Russia unfold, but make no mistake, Western leaders are glued to updates from Russia.
In the UK, the government’s emergency body was meeting on Saturday (local time) and speaking with partners around the world.
The US Secretary of State Antony Blinken has been hitting the phones.
“Spoke today with G7 Foreign Ministers and the EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy to discuss the ongoing situation in Russia,” he said.
“The United States will stay in close coordination with allies and partners as the situation continues to develop.”
Latvia closes border
Latvia closed its border with Russia late on Saturday.
The Baltic state is a member of both NATO and the European Union.
“Border security has been strengthened, visa or border entry from Russians leaving Russia due to current events won’t be considered,” Foreign Minister Edgars Rinkevics said in a tweet.
“Latvia is closely following the developing situation in Russia and exchanging information with allies.”
Fellow Baltic state, Estonia also said it was “strengthening” its border with Russia.
Of course, it’s not so much the case that the Baltics are fearing a rush of their citizens travelling to Russia, but rather a mass exodus of Russians fleeing the political turmoil and the potential collapse of Putin’s regime.
Welcome to our coverage
Hello and welcome to our ongoing coverage of the latest crisis in Russia as Vladimir Putin’s “private army” rebels.
What do we know so far?
The leader of the Russian mercenary Wagner Group, Yevgeny Prigozhin launched a rebellion on Saturday that threatens Vladimir Putin’s grip on power and could spark an all-out civil war in Russia.
A Wagner military convoy en route to Moscow.Credit: Reuters
Prigozhin took control of military headquarters at the town of Rostov and a Wagner column was on its way to Moscow late on Saturday (local time).
Putin reacted angrily. He called the rebellion treason and vowed to crush the rebellion.
Read more from our Europe correspondent Rob Harris: ‘A stab in the back’: Putin says those involved in mutiny will be punished
Where does this leave us?
Prigozhin has been fiercely critical, not of Putin, but of the way Russia has fought the war in Ukraine. He has been on the frontlines and spent months churning through Russian men for the strategically pointless town of Bakhmut.
He is closer to the forces actually fighting the war than Putin and therefore will be more in touch with local commanders.
That means Prigozhin’s ability to garner loyalty is high.
Read more on Prigozhin from reporter Sherryn Groch: Who’s behind Wagner, the most notorious mercenary group in the world?
Even so, he does not have the numbers to take on Putin and his rebellion may be put down, but, either way, it’s disastrous for Putin. His grip on power has been weakened.
Read more: Amid infighting among Putin’s lieutenants, Prigozhin appears to have taken a step too far
Follow along as we continue to cover this fascinating story as it evolves.
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