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Putin Appears In New Video: Unclear Where Or When It Was Shot And No Mention Of Mutiny; Russian Defense Minister Visits Troops In Ukraine After Revolt In Russia; Revolt Raises Questions About Putin's Leadership; Biden Talks With World Leaders About Insurrection; Days After Revolt, Prigozhin Whereabouts Unknown; United States Intelligence Expected A More Violent Revolt; Prime Minister Resounding Win, Far Right Makes Gains. Aired 10:15- 10:45a ET

Aired June 26, 2023 - 10:00:00   ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.

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[10:15:24]

CHRISTINA MACFARLANE, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Welcome to CONNECT THE WORLD. I'm Christina Macfarlane in London, in for Becky Anderson today.

And we have more on the startling events that unfolded over the weekend in Russia.

You are looking at live pictures here of Moscow. The mayor is saying all security restrictions have now been lifted on the Russian capital, if we

can show you those pictures. But it's not business as usual there today, after an insurrection that ended quickly and without major bloodshed that

left huge questions about Russian President Vladimir Putin's future.

Along with Wagner military chief Yevgeny Prigozhin, whose forces halted their march on Moscow after they were granted an apparent amnesty.

The Kremlin released a pre-recorded, undated video Putin a few hours ago that did not reference the immunity. And as of now, there's no word about

the whereabouts of either Putin or Prigozhin.

Matthew Chance has details of a remarkable weekend that posed a major challenge to the rule of Russia's longtime leader.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

MATTHEW CHANCE, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT (voice over): It's been a weekend of chaos in Russia. An armed insurrection, threatening the

Russian state ending as suddenly as it began.

It kicked off on Friday with allegations of a deadly strike on a Wagner military camp in Ukraine. The leader of the Russian mercenary group,

Yevgeny Prigozhin, accusing his rivals in the defense ministry of ordering the attack.

Russian officials denied any role, but a furious Prigozhin, who is repeatedly accused the military of mishandling the war in Ukraine vowed

revenge.

YEVGENY PRIGOZHIN, CHIEF, WAGNER GROUP (through translator): Those who destroyed our guys today, along with 10s of 1000s of lives of Russian

soldiers, will be punished.

I asked no one to put up any resistance. Justice for the troops will be restored, and then, justice for all of Russia.

CHANCE: The threat of violence was a shocking, unprecedented challenge. Putting Wagner on a collision course with the Kremlin, a criminal case was

launched, accusing Prigozhin of insurrection. But that didn't stop him.

By Saturday morning, Wagner forces had moved into the Russian city of Rostov-on-Don, in the country's south, taking over a key military facility

there with little resistance.

All Wagner forces continued north towards Moscow, shooting down Russian military aircraft that challenged them and ratcheting up the stakes as the

Russian president addressed the nation.

VLADIMIR PUTIN, PRESIDENT OF RUSSIA (through translator): This is a blow to Russia, to our people. All those who deliberately chose the path of

treachery who prepared an armed mutiny who chose the path of blackmail and terrorist methods will face inevitable punishment and will answer both to

the law and to our people.

CHANCE: The slow progress of the Wagner column roads were dug up along the route military checkpoints set up outside the city as Muscovites braced for

bloodshed. But it was a confrontation that never came.

Behind the scenes, a deal was brokered, involving the leader of neighboring Belarus. Prigozhin would halt the Wagner advance and supposedly leave for

exile in Belarus. An audio message confirmed his forces would stand down.

PRIGOZHIN (through translation): Therefore, realizing all the responsibility for the fact that Russian blood will be shed from one of the

sides, we turn our columns around and leave in the opposite direction to the field camps, according to the plan.

CHANCE: The Kremlin later confirmed grievous criminal charges would be dropped as part of the deal.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Wagner! Wagner! Wagner!

CHANCE: But as Wagner forces dispersed on Saturday, crowds in Rostov cheered them, a worrying sign for the Kremlin that Prigozhin's short-lived

rebellion had struck a popular chord. The big question now in Russia is what will this unprecedented challenge to Putin's rule unleash?

(END VIDEOTAPE)

MACFARLANE: We, as President Joe Biden spent the weekend monitoring the situation as it unfolded in Russia, he talked with several world leaders,

including Ukraine's president.

CNN's Kevin Liptak is with us now, joining us from the White House.

And Kevin, we saw President Biden being very careful with the language he used in response to the events unfolding over the weekend. Why was it so

necessary for the president and other western leaders for that matter not to say too much?

KEVIN LIPTAK, CNN WHITE HOUSE REPORTER: Yes. Well, I think the overriding drive behind the president's strategy here is to prevent Russia from having

any kind of pretext that would allow President Putin to claim that this short-lived insurrection was a -- was a plot by the West or by NATO, or by

the United States to oust him from power.

[10:20:03]

And I think that's best illustrated by some comments that we just heard this morning from the Russian foreign minister. He was talking on Russia

today. And he said that what happened over the weekend was a Western intelligence plot. And that is exactly what the United States and what

European leaders were trying to pre but, by really not saying anything about this over the weekend.

Now, Lavrov did say another very interesting thing in that interview, which is that he did have a conversation with the American ambassador in Moscow,

Lynne Tracy, where in which she told him that this was an internal Russian matter, and that the United States wasn't getting involved.

So, clearly, those efforts not necessarily preventing Russia from making those claims. But perhaps, making it at least a little easier for the rest

of the world to believe the United States, when it said that it had nothing to do, that it wasn't involved.

Now, we did hear from the secretary of state over the weekend, Antony Blinken, in which he said, you know, he didn't think that this was

necessarily the end of the road. That they don't necessarily consider this matter resolved.

And certainly, when you talk to American officials, as this week gets underway in Washington, they are watching very closely to see what happens

next. There really isn't a view among American intelligence officials, national security officials that Prigozhin will necessarily live in Belarus

and go back to selling hotdogs. They are watching very closely to see if President Putin this weekend to see what his next steps might be. And that

will be something they are very closely monitoring today. Christina.

MACFARLANE: Kevin Liptak, reporting from the White House there. Thanks very much, Kevin.

Well, let's continue to talk about the global reaction to this, and significantly, among Putin's so-called allies. Nic Robertson is joining me

here. He is been following developments.

Nick, despite seeing no evidence of Putin, or indeed, Prigozhin for that matter today, other than this pre-recorded message that was put out a few

hours ago. We have been hearing from the Kremlin that Putin has been holding calls with some of its allies, I think the likes of Iran, and

Qatar.

But the response we saw play out over the weekend was very muted in its support of Putin. And what does that say about the situation he is

currently in, and how problematic is that for him currently?

ROBERTSON: You know, I think, the country's close to him, and perhaps, China's the closest with the most invested in the outcome of what happens

in Ukraine.

And also, what happens mostly in Moscow is China and Russia's deputy foreign minister was in China, meeting the Chinese foreign minister, I

think on Sunday. So, that meeting was happening.

Is in China's vested interest that Russia doesn't crack apart, that Putin stays in power, and maintains his challenge to the west. That's what Russia

-- that's what China wants to see.

I think the image that's being projected by the Kremlin, Putin on T.V., but no speech, we don't know what is recorded, announcing that he's speaking to

the Qataris, to the Iranian, that's supposed to project the image of business as normal, this is an important country, he is an important man,

they want to speak to him, everything's good. In fact, we're moving on nothing to see.

And his left the message of what there is to see to the prime minister today, for example, who, you know, has said this was a challenge in the

country. But there's unity, we're moving forward.

It's going to be a worry, it's going to be a worry for China, because it is the principal country financially supporting Putin in this war, even if not

with heavy armaments.

MACFARLANE: And can I just ask you? I mean, if we're thinking around the implications for Putin here, and kind of diplomatic isolation is kind of

where he finds himself that may have driven him into the arms of Lukashenko in Belarus.

It's very confusing as to why he would have turned to this character, in particular, given that he holds no particular affection for him.

In fact, you know, he's been holding in contempt, this like -- quite some time. So, how do we read that?

ROBERTSON: I think a lot of what happened at the weekend was done on the hoof. Prigozhin suddenly realize he didn't have the broader military

support within the military. And certainly, didn't have counter act support.

And although, he had become very popular on the street, he wasn't going to win a contest for power in Moscow that became clear to him.

From Putin's part here, he'd allowed this problem to grow big and allowed the Prigozhin -- Prigozhin's narrative of a bad -- on unwisely, and unwell

for war to get bigger.

He needed to be able to make this go away without confrontation and, and also without too much ownership on his part because he had mishandled it

thus far.

So, allowing Lukashenko, who essentially Putin props up, I mean, Lukashenko's disastrous election in 2020 that he won, you know?

The dictator of Europe been in power there since 1994. But he had to call there was the protests on the streets were so big back, then, he had to

call on Putin for help.

You know, and it's been -- his country has been used as a base to attack Ukraine.

[10:25:03]

So, he is a lesser partner. So, Putin can let him appear to make the deal that there is no way that that anyone who really understands the way the

Kremlin works. That Putin would allow Lukashenko to do something without his knowledge.

And the beauty of it for Putin is, going back to Sunday and Saturday night, the word from the Kremlin was, Lukashenko, rather -- that Prigozhin had an

amnesty. Well, the word today is that he isn't. So, what does that tell us? Russia has military and intelligence operatives in Belarus.

And if that's where Prigozhin gets to, Putin's reach will get him if he wants to. That's, I think, the reality of what's happened here.

MACFARLANE: Yes. The question over what happens, Prigozhin when he gets to Belarus is, of course, turn outstanding one.

ROBERTSON: If he does.

MACFARLANE: If indeed he does, Nic. Thank you. Well, some U.S. intelligence sources are sharing their take on the revolt in Russia. Just ahead, we'll

have a live report on what surprised officials over the weekend.

Plus, investors can't seem to take their eyes off Moscow with good reason. We'll check the oil markets and see how chaos in Russia may spell trouble

for the global economy.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

MACFARLANE: Welcome back. I'm Christina Macfarlane in London, and you are watching CONNECT THE WORLD.

Here are your headlines this hour.

Moscow's mayor says security restrictions have been lifted in the Russian capital, two days after the Wagner paramilitary group halted its advanced.

They've altered interaction poses the biggest challenge yet to Vladimir Putin's decades long rule. There is no official word on where he is right

now.

The man at the center of it all, Wagner chief Yevgeny Prigozhin, has not been seen in public since Saturday night. And it's not really clear where

he is. The Kremlin says he made a deal to go into exile in Belarus. Russian state media reports he is under investigation for inciting armed rebellion.

Now, The U.S. intelligence community has been watching the revolt in Russia very carefully. One key takeaway the lack of bloodshed in the uprising.

Intelligence sources say they expected it to be more violent, and ultimately, there was no fight for Moscow, which is where a strong

resistance would have been encountered.

Joining us now, CNN national security reporter Natasha Bertrand. And Natasha, What have your sources been saying on their expectations around

this?

NATASHA BERTRAND, CNN WHITE HOUSE REPORTER: Yes, Christina. So, U.S. intelligence officials had picked up some signals that Prigozhin was

planning a potentially dramatic move against Russia's defense leaders, and that he was potentially even massing equipment and ammunition to prepare

for a move into Russia, to challenge their defense leaders there.

[10:30:06]

But there were a lot of things that surprised U.S. officials as well, and that they did not predict, including, that there was so little resistance

from Russian troops to Prigozhin and Wagner's kind of procession into Russia and up to Moscow.

They expected this to be a great deal, more bloody and more violent, because they expected to see more intense clashes between Russian troops

and the Wagner forces. And it is unclear to them still, why they did not face that kind of resistance.

It was also a surprise to U.S. officials, just how fast this appears to have been resolved on Saturday, kind of leading to Prigozhin, of course,

turning around just before he got to Moscow.

They were surprised that this was resolved, especially by Belarus, which, of course, is kind of a vassal state to Russia. So, why U.S. officials are

asking, did Belarus' Lukashenko plays such an important role, and such a successful role, apparently, in forcing Prigozhin to turn around.

All of these things, U.S. officials are asking now, but it doesn't seem obvious to them where this actually goes from here. To what extent this

will continue to threaten Putin's power. Of course, this was the biggest challenge to his leadership that he has seen in over two decades of rule.

But what they all do agree on is that this obviously shows cracks in his leadership and in the Kremlin establishment that were not necessarily there

before, and that the U.S. and western allies did not necessarily see coming.

And the fact that Russian troops apparently did not put much of a fight up against these Wagner forces only reinforces that, Christina.

MACFARLANE: Yes. Many more questions than answers. It seems even for the intelligence services at this point. Natasha Bertrand, thank you.

Well, all prices are trading in a tight range. They had spiked tire earlier today as investors reacted to the weekend's chaos in Russia.

Markets are now largely focused on the current uncertainty in Moscow, and whether any potential fallout from the aborted insurrection could disrupt

global energy supplies.

Russia, as you may know, is the world's second biggest, biggest oil exporter.

Well, CNN's Anna Stewart is tracking all of this and joins us here now.

Anna, the second largest exporter of oil, the biggest exporter of wheat. So, there was, of course, some expectation, there will be reactions from

markets. But the big question is, for how long with so much uncertainty? Yes.

ANNA STEWART, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, we got over the weekend was like a snapshot of just how big a role Russia plays in global commodity prices. If

we even need a reminder, post invasion of Ukraine, we've seen huge volatility across global commodities, particularly oil and gas, of course.

But what we saw over the weekend, just as a result of the implications of political instability within Russia, and the implications of disruption to

something like oil or gas, reaching global markets was interesting. We saw oil prices rising higher, no surprise there. Russia accounts about 10

percent of the world's oil demand, we saw natural gas prices higher. They're still actually slightly higher this morning.

And wheat. And wheat was a particularly interesting one because Russia, as you say, is the biggest exporter of wheat around the world. But the Rostov

region, particularly is important when it comes to Russian wheat. And there's a significant port there.

So, the story unfolding over the weekend was something that I think commodity investors were getting quite nervous about. Prices have pretty

much recovered now, but I think they remain heightened and there will be volatility until people feel that this risk has passed.

MACFARLANE: And the bigger broader knock-on effect here, we've seen the U.S. more personally, perhaps, Europe struggling with high inflation, high

interest rates. What potential does this have to further impact us all, as this fallout carries on?

The invasion of Ukraine is just a huge part of why we've seen inflation as high as it is, and it's really becoming a struggle to bring it back down.

It's a struggle for central banks all over the world, particularly, in the Eurozone, here in the U.K., and in the U.S. And a story like this, making

jitters through markets pushing up prices higher, albeit only for a short time.

If this were to continue, more political instability. You can certainly expect to see prices higher. And that will feed through the entire global

system and increase inflation right now is becoming even more of a problem because central banks can only raise rates so far without pushing an

economy into recession.

The Eurozone is in recession already. The U.K. could well fall into a recession later this year or next. So, this is becoming a bigger issue and

it's harder to deal with.

MACFARLANE: Yes. higher inflation -- even higher inflation, not what we need right now. Anna, thank you.

All right, coming up, a landslide victory for the Greek prime minister. But some surprises involving far-right parties. We'll have a live report from

Athens.

And the new king of the grass-courts got his crown at the Queen's final. So, what comes next? Details in our sports update.

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[10:37:08]

MACFARLANE: A landslide victory in Greece for the center-right New Democracy party and its leader, Kyriakos Mitsotakis, who sets -- who is set

to return for another term as prime minister.

That weekend general election saw gains for the far-right, including the anti-migrant Spartans Party as well as a Nationalist Party and Anti-

Abortion Party.

Well, joining us now from Athens is journalist Elinda Labropoulou. And as the prime minister and his party celebrate victory, three far-right parties

gained more than 30 seats in parliament, Elinda. What do you make of it?

ELINDA LABROPOULOU, JOURNALIST: Well, it came as a bit of a surprise to be honest. We had a previous election just five months -- five weeks ago, in

which Prime Minister Mitsotakis then, asked for a stronger mandate.

So, he wanted to go to the next election. But during that first round, we did not see that much of a rise of such parties. But this time round, it

seems that they made much stronger gains.

This is very much the top of a town after this election, because Mr. Mitsotakis's victory didn't come as that much of the surprise.

I think what we can say about this at this point is that migration is very much linked in Greece with a lot of territorial concerns. And also, you

know, Greece is a first reception country for migration, which means that it's been receiving its fair amount of migrants and refugees, particularly,

in 2015-2016, where over a million people crossed into Europe via Greece.

And since then, there have been all kinds of negotiations. Greece feels quite let down by some of the European reaction on this. It feels as some

of the quota's programs have not been enforced.

It also feels that due to the weaponization of migrants by Turkey, this is something that causes issues of territorial sovereignty. And I think this

is the reason why these parties have primarily made such gains.

Also, you have to remember, Christina, we're looking at a time that, you know, the cost-of-living crisis is still around. And although Greece has

shown great growth over the last four years, this has not been so much felt in people's pockets.

So, it's also a populist vote that we're going to see. This is a -- these far-right parties. There's also a far-left party that has made it into

parliament in these elections.

Altogether, we would call them something very much like a disruptive voice. They are there, maybe to cause some trouble, but overall, Mr. Mitsotakis

has a very strong mandate, and we believe that he will be able to govern without taking these voices that seriously, Christina.

Elinda Labropoulou, there, with the latest on those election results for us in Athens. Elinda, thank you very much.

[10:39:58]

Now, on Sunday, a group of nearly 5,000 humpback whales were spotted off the coast of New South Wales in Australia. Experts say they were on a

migration pod to mate.

The whales usually migrate north from Antarctica around this time of year, returning between September and November. The pod is more than 1,500

whales, larger than the one spotted last time -- last year at this time.

Now, the Hajj pilgrimage is now underway in Saudi Arabia. And there could be -- it could be one for the record books. More than 2 million Muslims

from around the world are expected to take part in this year, potentially setting a new attendance record.

The heat will also be a factor with temperatures nearing 45 degrees Celsius or around 110 Fahrenheit. Saudi authorities say 1000s of paramedics are on

standby and health workers will be available to treat cases of heatstroke, dehydration, and exhaustion.

The Hajj is one of the five pillars of Islam. Muslims undertake it at least once in their lives. If they have the means that is.

Now, as London sweltered under the fierce sun this weekend, the temperature was also rising at the Queen's final on the grass-court was Carlos Alcaraz,

a 20-year-old Spaniard who got to lift the massive trophy after beating Australia's Alex De Minaur, in straight sets. 6-4,6-4.

That is quite something when you consider, Amanda, that he has with that regain the world number one sport from Novak Djokovic and set himself up as

the top seed at Wimbledon.

AMANDA DAVIES, CNN SPORT ANCHOR: Yes, he says he understands he's going to be talked about as one of the favorites for Wimbledon.

But what you have to remember, and it's so easy to forget with Carlos Alcaraz, given we've spoken so much about him in the last 12 months. He is

still new to this game. That match yesterday was only his 11th match on grass. Only the third grass-court tournament he's played. But there he was

lifting the trophy, his fifth tournament victory of the year and everybody rightly very much talking about him as the one to beat next week or the

next couple of weeks at Wimbledon.

Do you suspect Novak Djokovic might have something to say about that. But yes, plenty more to be said about him over the next couple of weeks.

MACFARLANE: Yes.

DAVIES: S.W. 90 (PH).

MACFARLANE: Only adds to the spice of the tournament, doesn't it?

DAVIES: Yes.

MACFARLANE: And we'll have more from that with Amanda after this quick break. Stay with us.

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