June 24 (UPI) — World leaders are taking a wait and see approach Saturday as reaction pours in amid reports of a military revolt and possible coup in Russia by the leader of the mercenary Wagner Group.
The United States is in constant contact with the members of the Group of Seven as well as other American allies, Secretary of State Antony Blinken said in a statement.
Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, Britain as well as the European Union are the other G7 members, in addition to the United States.
President Joe Biden spoke with the leaders of Britain, France and Germany and reaffirmed the group’s “unwavering” support for Ukraine, the White House said in a statement.
“The president is following the situation very closely. We remain focused on supporting Ukraine,” a spokesperson for French President Emmanuel Macron said Saturday, as the situation in Russia remains uncertain.
Russian President Vladimir Putin accused Wagner Group chief Yevgeny Prigozhin of treason, vowing to punish the “internal treachery.”
Prigozhin, a former chef and close Putin confidant, publicly rebuked the Russian military on Friday after a rocket strike killed hundreds of his private mercenary troops in Ukraine.
Prigozhin vowed to retaliate and is marching his troops north from the battlefield with Ukraine, towards Moscow, reportedly entering the key military city of Rostov-on-Don.
The Kremlin has denied reports that Putin fled the Russian capitol on a military jet.
“Closely monitoring the situation in Russia as it unfolds,” European Council President Charles Michel Tweeted Saturday. “In touch with European leaders and G7 partners. This is clearly an internal Russian issue. Our support for Ukraine and [President Volodymyr Zelensky] is unwavering.”
Germany’s foreign office said it “will continue to monitor the situation and coordinate closely with our international partners.”
International support for Ukraine has not wavered among its allies, with supporters calling the situation there an internal problem, while also calling for de-escalation.
British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak on Saturday called on both sides to respect the safety of non-combatants, urging both Prigozhin and Russia to “be responsible and to protect civilians.”
Other Western allies remain on alert.
“Latvia is closely following the developing situation in Russia and exchanging information with allies,” Minister of Foreign Affairs Edgars Rinkēvičs tweeted. “Border security has been strengthened, visa or border entry from Russians leaving Russia due to current events won’t be considered. No direct threat to Latvia at this time.”
South Korea said Saturday it has confirmed the safety of all of its citizens living or working in the city of Rostov-on-Don, home to Russia’s southern military command. The city also housed Russian nuclear weapons.
“We are following the developments on what is happening in the last few hours in Russia,” Italian Premier Giorgia Meloni said Saturday, adding that it is hard to discern fact from fiction with so many conflicting reports coming out of the country.
Ukrainian authorities welcomed the infighting.
“Those who said Russia was too strong to lose: look now,” Ukrainian Minister of Foreign Affairs Dmytro Kuleba said Saturday. “Time to abandon false neutrality and fear of escalation; give Ukraine all the needed weapons; forget about friendship or business with Russia. Time to put an end to the evil everyone despised but was too afraid to tear down.”