In his first public remarks since a military rebellion by the leader of the Wagner Group in Russia over the weekend, President Joe Biden emphasizes that the U.S. had nothing to do with it. “We made clear that we were not involved. We had nothing to do with it. This is part of a struggle within the Russian system,” the president says. He also says that he has spoken with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and NATO allies and partners and that those conversations will continue. “We’re going to keep assessing the fallout of this weekend’s events and the implications for Russia and Ukraine. It’s still to early to reach a definitive conclusion about where this is going. The ultimate outcome of all this remains to be seen. But no matter what comes next, I will keep making sure that our allies and our partners are closely aligned in how we are reading and responding to the situation. It’s important we stay coordinated,” he says. The Associated Press has the story:
Biden: US wasn’t involved in Russia’s rebellion
Newslooks- WASHINGTON (AP)
President Joe Biden on Monday said United States and NATO had no involvement in the short-lived insurrection in Russia by the Wagner Group mercenary force. He said it’s “too early” to assess theimpact on the war in Ukraine.
Biden said he held a video call with allies over the weekend and they are all in sync in working to ensure that they give Russian President Vladimir Putin “no excuse to blame this on the West” or NATO.
“We made clear that we were not involved. We had nothing to do with it,” Biden said. “This was part of a struggle within Russian system.”
Biden also spoke with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy over the weekend about the situation and said he intended to speak with him again later Monday or early Tuesday.
