Anglosphere Cheers Coming ‘Dissolution’ of Russia

June 26, 2023, 2022 (EIRNS)—The starting place for any investigation into the weekend’s events in Russia is the question, cui bono? With that in mind, consider the following.

The Times of London (founded 1785) pronounced today that the U.K. must “prepare for sudden collapse of Russia” in the wake of what they called a “failed coup attempt.” According to the flagship Establishment daily, “internal government assessments” are the basis for this warning.

In Washington, D.C., the Anglophile Hudson Institute is on a rampage with the same campaign. Hudson held an online panel discussion of its “experts” on June 26, claiming that although Prigozhin’s mutiny did not last long, it will catalyze the dissolution of Russia. Luke Coffey, Hudson’s point-person for the “Break Up Russia” campaign, also penned an article for Foreign Policy magazine, published Monday under the hyped-up headline: “A Warlord Marching on Moscow Is Just a Foretaste of What Might Come. Here’s How To Prepare.”

The discussion was titled “Mutiny in Russia: Assessing the Implications of Prigozhin’s March on Moscow.” The four speakers from Hudson—Peter Rough, Coffey, Can Kasapoglu, and Rebeccah Heinrichs—between them asserted that Russia is now at a high risk of civil war, but the rate of its dissolution will depend on how badly the Ukraine war goes for them. However, after this weekend’s events in Russia, NATO capitals should see this as a winnable war, and arm Ukraine for victory, not merely its survival.

Kasapoglu pronounced, that with Prigozhin’s mutiny and the manner of its settlement, President Putin’s “geopolitical goal” which he presented in his 2007 speech at the Munich Security Conference—calling for an international security architecture which ensured the sovereign right of Russia to develop without the threat of NATO on its borders—is now “finished,” “over,” and the only question now is, who will win the game of musical chairs and end up in power in Russia.? While not sufficient itself, the putsch could be the catalyst for internal conflict in Russia, he added.

Coffey insisted Washington policymakers recognize “the historic nature” of the weekend’s events, and not fear what could happen if Russia descends into chaos.

Heinrich speculated that if the war in Ukraine goes sufficiently badly for Putin, he may decide to look for a way out of it. But all agreed that the lesson of the Prigozhin affair is that now is the time “to step on the gas” on arms supplies to Ukraine. Heinrich concluded the panel pushing for the U.S. to ship every kind of weapon, immediately with banned cluster munitions, and ATACMS, F-16s, etc. to follow.

An interesting note: She specifically called out the U.S. Congress for mooting cutting U.S. weapon supplies to Ukraine, complaining that “Republican populists” are not the only threat to those weapon supplies, but also now senior House Democrats. She pointed to a statement by ranking member of the Defense Appropriations Committee Rosa DeLauro (CT) that unless there is more domestic support, no more weapons will be sent.