Yevgeny Prigozhin, the founder of Wagner’s mercenary group, claims that the “ideal option” for now would be for Russia to stop the active phase of the “special forces operation” and “closely enter” the occupied Ukrainian territories, Kyivskyi Nezalezhny writes. ISW analysts believe that “Putin’s cook” is preparing the information ground to use the failure of the Russian army in the event of the success of the planned Ukrainian counteroffensive.

“The ideal option would be to announce the end of the conflict, to inform everyone that Russia has achieved the planned results, and in a certain sense we have achieved them,” Prigozhin wrote in the Telegram channel of his press service.

According to Prigozhin, Russia’s main task for the future should be to “establish and firmly take root” in the Ukrainian territories it seized.

At the same time, Prigozhin recognized that Ukraine is a “completely national state” and not one that considers itself a part of Russia.

The Wagner mercenary group, along with the Russian army, has been trying to capture the eastern Ukrainian city of Bakhmut for nine months as Moscow seeks to consolidate its control over the entire Donetsk region, which it claims it annexed along with three other Ukrainian regions. .

At the beginning of April, Prigozhin admitted that Ukrainian troops were not retreating from Bakhmut, and declared that a Russian offensive was “out of the question” at the moment.

Russian forces faced three problems: a lack of “properly organized command”, weak flanks and a lack of ammunition, Prigozhin added.

Prigozhin also said on Friday that Russia “cannot make any compromise” with Ukraine, including negotiations, and that if the Armed Forces of Ukraine were not defeated “in a fair fight”, then Russia should take its time to “strengthen your muscles”. ” and fight again later.

• Despite spending months trying to capture Bakhmut with colossal losses, Wagner’s boss also sees advantages for Putin’s forces

Prigozhin, frightened by the possible success of the Ukrainian counteroffensive

According to the Institute for the Study of War, Yevgeny Prigozhin is creating information conditions to use the failure of the Russian army in the event of the success of the planned Ukrainian counteroffensive.

The ISW analysts’ observation comes after Prigozhin also said that the upcoming Ukrainian counteroffensive has a better chance of success than failure.

“Putin’s chef” warned that Russia’s self-serving “deep state” (which he defines as “a community of elites close to the state that operate independently of the political leadership of the state and have close ties and their own agenda”) is a crisis due to the inability of the Russian military to ensure a quick victory.

Prigozhin accused members of this state, deeply rooted in the Russian bureaucracy, of deliberately sabotaging Russia’s success in the war as they sought to restore their privileged and comfortable lives.

Prigozhin outright rejected the idea of ​​any negotiations to end the war and urged the Russians to continue fighting, even if it resulted in Russia’s temporary defeat.

Russia should also ignore temptations to cut Russian losses and reach a deal, and the Russian military should continue to fight relentlessly in Ukraine, no matter how unfavorable the conditions become.

He argued that any scenario in which Russia is defeated would lead to a wave of “radical national sentiment” in Russia, which would serve as a catalyst for the revival of Russian patriotism and allow “the Russian nation to undergo the baptism of fire necessary for the emergence of a victorious and defeated Ukraine.” .

It is worth noting that Prigozhin – one of the most extreme leaders of Russia’s pro-war faction – believes that Russia can be defeated in Ukraine and that such a short-term defeat will actually be to its advantage, ISW also notes. .

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