The Times: British Government To Prepare For Russia's Collapse

• 26.06.2023, 11:59

London is seriously considering such a scenario.

The British government believes that London should start preparing for the sudden collapse of Russia following the revolt of Evgeny Prigozhin, the head of the Wagner PMC, The Times reports, citing sources.

The newspaper writes that at the beginning of the full-scale war unleashed by Russia, Britain assumed that it could end with the country's instability for Moscow. But Prigozhin's "march on Moscow" and the speed at which it has developed have already prompted diplomats to prepare different scenarios.

"We should wait and see what happens next. This may be the first chapter of something new," the source told The Times.

Britain's financial secretary to the Treasury, John Glen, described the events of recent days as an "internal matter" for Russia. At the same time, Britain's former military attaché in Moscow, John Foreman, said a successful Prigozhin takeover would be the "worst-case scenario" and called him a "fascist". No illusions should be entertained about him.

"We thought everything would happen gradually. There was no talk of a sudden 'march on Moscow'," he said, adding that Western diplomats were baffled by the pace of events.