JRL NEWSWATCH: “The Godfather in the Kremlin”- WSJ
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“The very public death of Putin henchman Yevgeny Prigozhin highlights the evolution of Russia into a mafia state held together by violence and incapable of global leadership.”
“… Prigozhin had come to symbolize the criminal trajectory of the Russian state[,] [i]n the 1980s, … imprisoned in the Soviet Union, … [then] a rags-to-riches transformation from [post-Soviet] street vendor … to close [Putin] associate …. Prigozhin’s remarkable portfolio ranged from elite catering to [U.S.] election meddling … to … the Wagner Group. … Putin has dealt harshly with political rivals. … The mafia overtones in [related] expressions of raw power are no accident[,] … [intending] to intimidate, showing that the Russian state will stop at nothing to secure itself. … Putin’s Russia does not have the European élan and diplomatic acumen of the Russian Empire. … [nor] the revolutionary appeal of the Soviet Union. Its economy is top-heavy with state-owned enterprises and resists innovation, and its foreign policy has needlessly isolated Russia from the West. … Prigozhin’s mistake in June was to strike a non-fatal blow against the boss. … Prigozhin’s rebellion was exceptionally foolish. He was not in charge of the security services in Russia, he did not have real allies in the Russian elite, and his many social-media screeds did not amount to a coherent program for revolution. …”