Moscow gradually returns to normal, Czech Minister talks about "a very carefully prepared scenario", US-Ukraine phone call

Russia-Belarus phone call, many countries speak out is the latest news related to the situation in Russia after developments related to Wagner forces.

(06.26) Sau diễn biến liên quan tới lực lượng Wagner, các hoạt động tại thủ đo Moscow, Nga đã dần trở lại bình thường, song Quảng trường Đỏ vẫn tiếp tục đóng cửa. (Nguồn: AFP)

After the developments involving Wagner forces, activities in Moscow, Russia have gradually returned to normal, but Red Square remains closed. (Source: AFP)

* On June 25, traffic in Moscow, Russia returned to normal after some activities of the Wagner private military force.

The army has withdrawn from the streets. Barricades and checkpoints have been removed, but Red Square remains closed to tourists. On highways leading to Moscow, repair crews are restoring sections of road that were dug up just hours earlier. Residents of the capital continue to visit parks and cafes, following the surprise action by Wagner forces.

Earlier, the Moscow government had been ready to react to the appearance of Wagner forces by setting up checkpoints with armored vehicles and deploying troops on the southern edge of the city. Russian state television in Chechnya reported that 3,000 Chechen soldiers had been withdrawn from the Ukrainian battlefield and moved to Moscow on the morning of June 25 (local time).

Troops armed with machine guns also set up checkpoints on the southern outskirts of Moscow. In addition, the Russian government also mobilized groups to dig up sections of highways with the aim of slowing down Wagner's forces.

* On June 25, Belarus ' Belta news agency reported that Russian President Vladimir Putin and his Belarusian counterpart Alexander Lukashenko had a phone call on the morning of June 25 (local time).

The two sides had previously spoken by phone at least twice on June 24. Mr. Lukashenko had mediated an agreement between the Russian government and the leader of the Wagner group, Mr. Yevgeny Prigozhin, who agreed to de-escalate the situation and move to Belarus.

On the afternoon of June 25, Mr. Lukashenko had a phone call with former President of Kazakhstan Nursultan Nazarbayev. The two sides discussed the international situation, the regional situation, and Belarus-Kazakhstan relations.

* On the same day, writing on Twitter , Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said on June 25 that he discussed with his US counterpart Joe Biden recent events in Russia and the topic of long-range weapons. According to the Ukrainian leader, recent events have exposed a number of problems in the Russian government's governance, and called on the West to continue to put pressure on Moscow. Mr. Volodymyr Zelensky also discussed further expanding bilateral defense cooperation with Mr. Joe Biden, with a focus on long-range weapons.

At the same time, Ukrainian Defense Minister Oleksii Reznikov also had a phone call with his US counterpart Lloyd Austin. Discussing the situation in Russia, the two sides agreed that withdrawing troops from Ukraine would be the “best option” for Russia at the moment. Defense officials from both countries also affirmed that the situation on the ground in Ukraine is “going in the right direction.”

* In Europe, writing on social media, Austrian Chancellor Karl Nehammer wrote: “After in-depth cabinet consultations, it is clear that the developments in Russia are Russia’s internal affairs. We are closely monitoring the situation and are in constant contact with international partners to take coordinated action.”

He said the Austrian Interior Ministry had taken security measures at certain facilities and increased “the level of preparedness of security agencies” to prevent Russia’s internal affairs “from having an impact on Austrian territory.”

* Meanwhile, Mr. Martin Dvorak, Czech Minister in charge of European affairs, said that the actions of the Wagner gunmen were like a pre-written play and that the movement of this force to Belarus could be aimed at getting closer to the Ukrainian capital Kiev.

“The longer we watched the developments, the clearer it became that it was a very well-prepared scenario,” he said. According to him, Wagner gunmen approached Moscow without firing a shot and then retreated after a phone call with Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko. “What was the goal of the game, what was its intention? Everything is still speculation… I don’t think that Yevgeny Prigozhin (head of the Wagner group) ‘went crazy’ in the morning only to ‘come to his senses’ in the evening,” the official concluded.

* Meanwhile, in a statement on June 25, UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said: “The Secretary-General has been following developments in Russia with concern. Mr. Guterres is aware of the latest information regarding measures to ease tensions. He calls on all parties concerned to continue to act responsibly and adhere to the stance of avoiding further escalation.”

* For his part, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken affirmed that what happened was “Russia’s internal matter”. However, he also said that the recent event posed an unprecedented challenge to the administration of Russian President Vladimir Putin.

“I don’t think we’ve seen the last of this chaos. It’s too early to say what the future holds for the Wagner soldiers,” he said. The incident may not be over yet, and its consequences could take weeks or months to resolve, the US diplomat said.

* On June 25, responding to the situation in Russia, the Chinese Foreign Ministry stated: "The recent tensions in Russia are Russia's internal affairs. China supports Russia in maintaining national stability."

* Meanwhile, on June 25, the Canadian Prime Minister's Office said that Mr. Justin Trudeau had a phone call with US President Joe Biden to discuss the security situation. The statement said: "The two leaders discussed the current internal security situation in Russia, noting that they are closely monitoring developments and maintaining close contact with allies and partners."

* Meanwhile, meeting with Russian Ambassador Alexander Matsegora on the same day, KCNA (North Korea) said that the country's Deputy Foreign Minister Im Chon il "believes that the recent armed uprising in Russia will be suppressed in accordance with the aspirations and will of the Russian people". At the same time, North Korea will "strongly support any choice and decision of the Russian leadership".

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