Biden's Discussion with European Leaders on Russia; Prigozhin Orders His Mercenaries to Withdraw

U.S. President Joe Biden discussed developments in Russia on Saturday with leaders from Britain, France, and Germany. According to a White House statement, the leaders emphasized their 'unwavering support for Ukraine.' Biden was briefed on the latest developments in Russia by his national security team on Saturday morning and will continue to be updated throughout the day. A spokesperson for German Chancellor Olaf Scholz stated that the four Western leaders emphasized the continuation of support for Ukraine for as long as necessary. U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken also discussed the current situation in Russia with his counterparts from Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, and Britain (G7 members) as well as the EU's High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy. Blinken reiterated that U.S. support for Ukraine will not change, and as developments in Russia continue, Washington will maintain close coordination with its allies and partners. In the latest development, Yevgeny Prigozhin, commander of the Russian mercenary group Wagner, ordered his forces, who were advancing towards Moscow, to return to their bases to prevent bloodshed. Prigozhin stated that his forces had advanced to within 200 kilometers of Moscow over the past day. The office of Alexander Lukashenko, the President of Belarus, announced that he spoke with Prigozhin after confirming with Putin and secured his agreement for de-escalation. Earlier on Saturday, Prigozhin claimed that an armed convoy of his mercenaries was heading to Moscow with the intent of overthrowing the Russian military leadership. Russian officials had accused Prigozhin of initiating an armed rebellion and promised to punish him. In this context, the Russian Federal Security Service announced that it had opened a criminal case against Prigozhin for armed rebellion, which carries a penalty of up to 20 years in prison. This is the biggest internal crisis in Russia since Putin's invasion of Ukraine began. Prigozhin, whose mercenaries played a key role in last month's capture of Bakhmut, has openly accused Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu and Chief General Valery Gerasimov of incompetence and of preventing Wagner's access to ammunition in the group's battles in Ukraine for months. In response to Prigozhin's accusations, the Russian Ministry of Defense called them false and 'an information provocation.' He also stated on Friday that Putin's justification for the invasion of Ukraine was based on lies concocted by senior military officials. Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Nasser Kanaani stated that the internal developments in Russia are an internal matter for that country. Kanaani added that the Islamic Republic supports the 'rule of law' in the Russian Federation.