Dutch FM “very concerned” about how Wagner Group’s mutiny impacts European stability

Dutch Foreign Minister Wopke Hoekstra is very concerned about the consequences the aborted mutiny by the Russian paramilitary army, Wagner Group, will have on peace and calm in Europe. The events of last weekend signal “probably something for the near future,” but rather than speculating, he wants to continue to focus on helping Ukraine.

“Of course we are all very concerned about what the war and developments like this now mean for the stability of Europe,” Hoekstra said when he arrived in Luxembourg for a meeting with his European Union counterparts. “But let’s keep our eyes on the ball.” Ukraine’s allies should not allow themselves to be distracted, and should instead continue to help the country to keep Russia at bay, Hoekstra believes.

The mutiny orchestrated by Wagner leader Yevgeny Prigozhin shows the cracks in President Vladimir Putin’s regime, says EU foreign policy leader Josep Borrell. The war that Russia is waging against Ukraine has repercussions on its own political system, he believes.

“The monster that Putin created with Wagner, the monster is biting him now. The monster is acting against his creator,” Borrell said. He said the policial system in Russia is now showing

“The main conclusion is that the war that Putin started and the monster he created with Wagner are now biting him. “The political system is showing fragilities, and the military power is cracking.” He said the situation is troubling, as Russia is also the largest global nuclear power. “It’s not a good thing to see that a nuclear power like Russia can go into a phase of political instability.”

According to German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock, the events show that Putin is leading his own country to destruction with the war in Ukraine. She sees “huge cracks in Russian propaganda,” and pointed to Prigozhin’s contradictions against the official justification for the war against Ukraine.

Since Saturday, the Netherlands has been advising Dutch people in Russia to immediately leave the country. Hoekstra did not believe such travel advice was necessary right up until that moment, because “it is of course a huge country” with large areas where there was little or no danger.

“But we have now said, with these developments, that probably also means something for the near future. Hence the adjustment.”

Upon arrival in Luxembourg, minister after minister stressed that the mutiny is an “internal matter”.