Prigozhin probably found allies in Ministry of Defense of Russian Federation, who support freezing war in Ukraine, - ISW
Yevgeny Prigozhin calls on the Kremlin to end the so-called "SMO" and focus on entrenching Russian forces in the occupied territories, which may indicate that the founder of PMC "Wagner" has found allies in the Ministry of Defense of the Russian Federation who support a temporary freeze on the war in Ukraine.
As reported by Censor.NET with reference to UP, this is stated in the report of the Institute for the Study of War (ISW).
ISW analysts emphasize that in early April, Prigozhin publicly resumed cooperation with the Ministry of Defense of the Russian Federation and, it seems, regained some of the privileges granted by the Kremlin after a months-long feud with the Russian military command.
The institute believes that Prigozhin's cooperation with the Ministry of Defense of the Russian Federation indicates that the head of "Wagner" probably reached an agreement with the Russian military command, inviting Putin to propose a temporary ceasefire. Thus, according to the report, Prigozhin wants to regain the opportunity to build up his forces and expand his political prospects on the eve of the parliamentary and presidential elections in the Russian Federation.
The institute noted that Prigozhin previously also criticized Putin's maximalist goals regarding the war in Ukraine and made pessimistic predictions about how long it would take the Russian Federation to seize Donbas. The relevant statements, ISW suggested, are likely part of the ceasefire narrative.
Institute analysts also noted that the "Angry Patriots" club, one of whose leaders is Igor Girkin, recently accused Prigozhin of supporting efforts aimed at freezing the war in Ukraine.
"This allegation may indicate that Prigozhin has found a patron, likely connected to the Russian Ministry of Defense, which supports a temporary freeze on the war in Ukraine for political reasons," the report says.
"A temporary ceasefire in Ukraine and a prolongation of the war will only benefit Russia, as it will allow it to regain its strength and weaken Western support for Ukraine. Russia will use the occupied territories of Ukraine as a springboard for future offensive operations after it regains its combat capability." summarized in ISW.
