Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov on Friday hit out at US President Joe Biden for expressing his lack of surprise that Wagner mercenary chief Yevgeny Prigozhin had been killed in a plane crash. Calling it “unacceptable”, Ryabkov said such remarks “illustrated Washington's disregard for diplomacy.”
Also read: Prigozhin made 'mistakes' but 'achieved results': Putin 'condoles' Wagner chief's death
"…Still, it is not for the US president, in my opinion, to talk about such tragic events of this kind," Ryabkov said, reported Reuters citing state TASS news agency.
On Wednesday, the Russian civil aviation authority Rosaviatsia confirmed that Wagner group chief Prigozhin was aboard the private jet that crashed on the way to St. Petersburg from Moscow. While rescuers found 10 bodies, there has been no official confirmation of Prigozhin's death so far.
Reacting to the reports, Biden said that he was “not surprised”.
“I don’t know for a fact what happened, but I’m not surprised…There is not much that happens in Russia that Putin is not behind,” the US President told reporters.
Biden, CIA director on potential danger to Prigozhin
Several days ago, Biden and CIA director Williams Burns spoke of the potential danger to Prigozhin for spearheading a mutiny to topple Russia's military leadership. Hinting towards Wagner chief's possible life threat, Biden said, "If I were he, I’d be careful what I ate. I’d be keeping my eye on my menu.”
Also read: Wagner would be more dangerous under Putin's leadership, Poland PM warns
{{/usCountry}}Several days ago, Biden and CIA director Williams Burns spoke of the potential danger to Prigozhin for spearheading a mutiny to topple Russia's military leadership. Hinting towards Wagner chief's possible life threat, Biden said, "If I were he, I’d be careful what I ate. I’d be keeping my eye on my menu.”
Also read: Wagner would be more dangerous under Putin's leadership, Poland PM warns
{{/usCountry}}The CIA said, “I think Putin is someone who generally thinks that revenge is a dish best-served cold… If I were Prigozhin, I wouldn't fire my food taster.”
Kremlin on Wagner chief's reported death
On Friday, the Kremlin said that Western countries' speculations that Prigozhin was killed on its orders were an “absolute lie”, reported Reuters. Speaking to the media, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said, “An investigation into the plane crash on Wednesday evening in which President Vladimir Putin has said that Prigozhin and his associates were killed according to preliminary information, is ongoing. Putin had not met Prigozhin recently.”
(With inputs from agencies)