“It looks like Putin’s power of centralized, vertical strong government control is in question for the first time,” said Rajan Menon, a political scientist who specializes in war and ethics at City University of New York and Columbia University.
Prigozhin’s longer-term strategy remained unclear. Menon said the man once known as Putin’s chef, because of his lucrative restaurant businesses, was not thought to be a gambler who would take uncalculated, suicidal risks. He could still have backing within Putin’s inner circle that is unknown to Western observers, or some other reason to believe he will prevail.
“This goes beyond fighting a war in Ukraine,” Menon said. “This is playing for keeps.”
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