“A neutral organization — either the UN or the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe — would send in observers to monitor and enforce the cease-fire and pullback,” the former U.S. officials wrote. “Assuming a cease-fire holds, peace talks should follow.”
In addition to allies and partners previously mentioned, Ridge Runner will host observers from Taiwan, Georgia, Moldova, Hungary, Qatar, Romanian, and Canada during the event.
CIA Director William Burns called Russian spy chief Sergei Naryshkin after last week’s aborted mutiny in Russia to assure the Kremlin that the United States had no role in it, the New York Times and the Wall Street Journal reported on Friday.
Romanov’s publication came amid publication by the New York Times, which, citing US officials familiar with intelligence, reported that Surovikin allegedly “knew in advance of Yevgeny Prigozhin’s plans to rebel against the leaders soldiers of Russia” and therefore urged the “Wagnerians” to stop. At the same time, the newspaper claims, other Russian generals may support the businessman.
American officials and others interviewed for this article spoke on the condition of anonymity to discuss sensitive intelligence. They emphasized that much of what the United States and its allies know is preliminary. U.S. officials have avoided discussing the rebellion publicly, out of fear of feeding Mr. Putin’s narrative that the unrest was orchestrated by the West.
Still, American officials have an interest in pushing out information that undermines the standing of General Surovikin, whom they view as more competent and more ruthless than other members of the command. His removal would undoubtedly benefit Ukraine, whose Western-backed troops are pushing a new counteroffensive that is meant to try to win back territory seized by Moscow.
This weekend saw a possible march on Moscow by the private military force Wagner group. Western media, politicians and various talking heads – and tails – have put forth their speculations, ranging from an attempted overthrow of the Russian government to a game of 5D chess by Vladimir Putin. To get a reality-based understanding of what happened and what it means going forward, Don DeBar spoke with Moscow-based analyst Mark Sleboda, via Skype, Monday.
“I work in a government ministry that is not engaged in gathering evidence of unlawful acts being committed, but we do have such agencies and, I assure you, they are already looking into it,” the top diplomat said
American officials determined as early as January there was an internal power struggle underway between the private military group Wagner and the Russian government, and have been gathering and closely ‘monitoring’ intelligence on the volatile dynamic ever since, according to officials.
Cameron Hudson, a former chief of staff to the US special envoy for Sudan, stated that Washington had a strategy to “target, isolate, and weaken Wagner’s growth in Africa,” adding that by maintaining that approach, Washington is now potentially assisting Putin.
Ms. Cat’s Chronicles 
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