Vladimir Putin's mixed messages on the Wagner mutiny have been raising eyebrows and changing perceptions of him.
After a weekend of mayhem, I'm beginning to understand why Russia's national symbol is the double-headed eagle: two heads staring in opposite directions.
In a TV address, President Vladimir Putin declares the rebellion "a criminal adventure… a grievous crime… treason… blackmail and terrorism." Yet just a few hours later, as part of an agreement with Prigozhin, it's revealed that all criminal charges against the Wagner leader are being dropped.The Kremlin leader's mixed messages have been raising eyebrows here and changing perceptions of President Putin.
"You can't make a public statement declaring people are criminals and then, on the same day, at the end of the day, let your press secretary disagree with you and say 'No, those people haven't broken the criminal code.'"In a post on social media, Mr Nechaev argues: "The law has lost all power. Even grievous crimes won't be punished due to political expediency. In the morning, you might be declared a traitor.
"Someone new" for the presidency is not something you normally hear the Russian elite discussing openly. That doesn't mean a change of guard in the Kremlin is imminent. If there's one thing Vladimir Putin has perfected after 23 years in power, it is the art of political survival.
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