James Clapper Says Kremlin's Deal With Wagner Boss Prigozhin Seems 'Fishy'

James Clapper, the former U.S. director of national intelligence, on Sunday said the Kremlins deal with Wagner Group chief Yevgeny Prigozhin to stop the armed mutiny appears fishy.

The rebellion, which lasted less than 24 hours, saw Prigozhins forces taking control of the Russian military headquarters in Rostov-on-Don, which oversees fighting in Ukraine. The mercenaries later advanced toward Moscow before pulling back Saturday after the Kremlin made an agreement to send Prigozhin to Belarus, and pardon him and his soldiers. The fighters who didnt join the rebellion would be offered contracts by Russias defense ministry.

Dmitry Peskov, the Kremlins spokesperson, said the government was grateful to Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko for brokering the deal.

This deal to me is kind of fishy, Clapper told CNNs Jim Sciutto .

The Associated Press reported that a Russian news channel on Telegram said Prigozhin had been spotted at a hotel in Minsk on Monday, while Russian media claimed a criminal investigation into his conduct is ongoing, the news agency said.

Clapper said the fact that Prigozhin agreed to go to Belarus, which is essentially from a security standpoint an extension of Russia, brings up further questions.

I just wonder whether there was a deal or somehow behind the scenes [Russian President Vladimir] Putin exerted some form of leverage over Prigozhin that caused him to fold, Clapper said.

Russia expert Misha Glenny told BBC Breakfast that Prigozhin likely secured certain guarantees as part of the deal.

He must be worried that Putin who basically prizes loyalty above all other characteristics of his friends and allies could take revenge against him, Glenny said.

Glenny added that if Putin were to take out Prigozhin, that would fuel even more uncertainty with questions about what would happen to the troops under his control.

America's top diplomat Antony Blinken has said an attempted armed mutiny in Russia shows \"real cracks\" in President Vladimir Putin's authority.

Russia expert Misha Glenny spoke to #BBCBreakfasthttps://t.co/JRdCw6VmRn pic.twitter.com/UxO5OvvoYO

BBC Breakfast (@BBCBreakfast) June 26, 2023","type":"rich","meta":{"author":"BBC Breakfast","author_url":"https://twitter.com/BBCBreakfast","cache_age":86400,"description":"America's top diplomat Antony Blinken has said an attempted armed mutiny in Russia shows \"real cracks\" in President Vladimir Putin's authority.Russia expert Misha Glenny spoke to #BBCBreakfasthttps://t.co/JRdCw6VmRn pic.twitter.com/UxO5OvvoYO BBC Breakfast (@BBCBreakfast) June 26, 2023\n\n","options":{"_hide_media":{"label":"Hide photos, videos, and cards","value":false},"_maxwidth":{"label":"Adjust width","placeholder":"220-550, in px","value":""},"_theme":{"value":"","values":{"dark":"Use dark theme"}}},"provider_name":"Twitter","thumbnail_height":720,"thumbnail_url":"https://pbs.twimg.com/media/Fzhq2lSaQAAS4b7.jpg:large","thumbnail_width":1280,"title":"BBC Breakfast on Twitter","type":"rich","url":"https://twitter.com/BBCBreakfast/status/1673205045696008193","version":"1.0"},"flags":[],"enhancements":{},"fullBleed":false,"options":{"theme":"news","device":"mobile","editionInfo":{"id":"us","name":"U.S.","link":"https://action.news","locale":"en_US"},"originalEdition":"us","isMapi":false,"isAmp":false,"isVideoEntry":false,"isEntry":true,"isMt":false,"entryId":"649981b2e4b007604cfa99b3","entryPermalink":"https://action.news/entry/james-clapper-prigozhin-deal_n_649981b2e4b007604cfa99b3","entryTagsList":"russia,ukraine,james-clapper,yevgeny-prigozhin,@us_huffpost_now","sectionSlug":"world-news","deptSlug":"politics-news","sectionRedirectUrl":null,"subcategories":"","isWide":false,"headerOverride":null,"noVideoAds":false,"disableFloat":false,"isNative":false,"commercialVideo":{"provider":"custom","site_and_category":"us.world-news","package":null},"isHighline":false,"vidibleConfigValues":{"cid":"60afc111dcf87c2cd2f5d8bf","overrides":{"front_page_top_videos":{"desktop":"60b64354b171b7444beaff4d","mobileweb":"60b64354b171b7444beaff4d"},"top_media":{"desktop":"60b8e6bdc5449357a7ada147","mobile":"60b8e701c5449357a7ada2ee","iphone":"60b8e643cdd90620331bb1f6","ipad":"60b8e643cdd90620331bb1f6","androidphone":"60b8e699c5449357a7ada04c","androidtablet":"60b8e699c5449357a7ada04c"},"anthology":{"desktop":"60b8e616cdd90620331bb0ba","mobile":"60b8e671c5449357a7ad9f66","iphone":"60b8e643cdd90620331bb1f6","ipad":"60b8e643cdd90620331bb1f6","androidphone":"60b8e699c5449357a7ada04c","androidtablet":"60b8e699c5449357a7ada04c"},"content":{"desktop":"60b8e616cdd90620331bb0ba","mobile":"60b8e671c5449357a7ad9f66","iphone":"60b8e643cdd90620331bb1f6","ipad":"60b8e643cdd90620331bb1f6","androidphone":"60b8e699c5449357a7ada04c","androidtablet":"60b8e699c5449357a7ada04c"}},"playerUpdates":{"5668ae6ee4b0b5e26955d6a6":"60d2472d9340d7032ad7e443","56aa41bae4b091744c0440d8":"60e869dc7c5f3b17b6741b81","5841b2b5cc52c716ec6e5a7f":"60b8e355cdd90620331ba185","58b5e2b8d85a10302feee895":"60b64316b171b7444beafdb2","58b74698f78ced31417819ae":"60b8e5bec5449357a7ad9b52","58b74ccecebcea57e2c3a3d1":"60b8e5eac5449357a7ad9ca5","58cff690d85a100b9992bc39":"60b8e616cdd90620331bb0ba","58cffb3fb6d9b972a49a3c9d":"60b8e643cdd90620331bb1f6","58cffdd74d96935d7d6ec180":"60b8e671c5449357a7ad9f66","58d03a84f78ced6518eb2fa7":"60b643c82e76be41f112735c","592edf20e0fa177b0c26f7fd":"60b8e699c5449357a7ada04c","5b35266b158f855373e28256":"60b64354b171b7444beaff4d","5c116f29f79c4171d82b7c2a":"60b64440b171b7444beb040b","5c1170fc600c9a697bf0c6b9":"60b646102e76be41f1127ffc","5c47791afa1b317df8ae0c4f":"60b8e6bdc5449357a7ada147","5c477987a6b48b35f164773d":"60b8e701c5449357a7ada2ee","5c4779ee943c3c2a64f28371":"60b8e747cdd90620331bb861","5c477a26fcd67b26879bc7c2":"60b8e788c5449357a7ada67b","5d8921a78c3ae845f366c9b6":"60ae7be5f3a7c13a30417ff9","58b98b00ba82aa39a6534321":"60d0de7c9340d7032ad1146c","58b9d14cb6d9b96c9ec32af3":"60d0dec19340d7032ad115a0","58cff8eccebcea42931e0436":"60d0e005b627221e9d819d44","592edf5de0fa177b0c26f95b":"60d0e38fb627221e9d81adcf","58cff72fd85a100b9992c112":"60d0e447b627221e9d81b0da","56b4d34fe4b022697697c400":"60d2472d9340d7032ad7e443","60b8e4c0c5449357a7ad957d":"60e869dc7c5f3b17b6741b81"}},"connatixConfigValues":{"defaultPlayer":"ff7fdddc-5441-4253-abc4-f12a33fad58b","clickToPlayPlayer":"d014396e-b366-4c17-aeac-3ce906fa3fd0","videoPagePlayer":"f010447b-d244-4111-a314-7b4542ae4145","verticalPlayer":"e58cb05a-0bc8-4210-9108-fea82726c065","stickyPlayerControl":"52ea1755-d601-4ad1-bccc-d8cce3f0e5da","stickyPlayerON":"8055e9e5-3bda-4933-8d45-9ad814fb6e22"},"topConnatixThumnbailSrc":"https://img.connatix.com/0cf99504-9496-4ba8-9774-acf1814068d1/1_th.jpg?crop=480:270,smart&width=480&height=270&format=jpeg&quality=60&fit=crop","customAmpComponents":[],"ampAssetsUrl":"https://amp.assets.huffpost.com","videoTraits":null,"positionInUnitCounts":{"buzz_head":{"count":0},"buzz_body":{"count":0},"buzz_bottom":{"count":0}},"positionInSubUnitCounts":{"article_body":{"count":6},"blog_summary":{"count":0},"before_you_go_content":{"count":0}},"connatixCountsHelper":{"count":1},"buzzfeedTracking":{"context_page_id":"649981b2e4b007604cfa99b3","context_page_type":"buzz","destination":"huffpost","mode":"mobile","page_edition":"en-us"},"tags":[{"name":"Russia","slug":"russia","links":{"relativeLink":"topic/russia","permalink":"https://action.news/topic/russia","mobileWebLink":"https://action.news/topic/russia"},"department":{"name":"Latest News","slug":"politics-news"},"section":{"title":"World News","slug":"world-news"},"topic":{"title":"Russia","slug":"russia","overridesSectionLabel":false},"url":"https://action.news/news/topic/russia"},{"name":"Ukraine","slug":"ukraine","links":{"relativeLink":"topic/ukraine","permalink":"https://action.news/topic/ukraine","mobileWebLink":"https://action.news/topic/ukraine"},"relegenceId":3696312,"department":{"name":"Latest News","slug":"politics-news"},"section":{"title":"World News","slug":"world-news"},"topic":{"title":"Ukraine","slug":"ukraine","overridesSectionLabel":false},"url":"https://action.news/news/topic/ukraine"},{"name":" james clapper","slug":"james-clapper","links":{"relativeLink":"topic/james-clapper","permalink":"https://action.news/topic/james-clapper","mobileWebLink":"https://action.news/topic/james-clapper"},"url":"https://action.news/topic/james-clapper"},{"name":"yevgeny prigozhin","slug":"yevgeny-prigozhin","links":{"relativeLink":"topic/yevgeny-prigozhin","permalink":"https://action.news/topic/yevgeny-prigozhin","mobileWebLink":"https://action.news/topic/yevgeny-prigozhin"},"url":"https://action.news/topic/yevgeny-prigozhin"}],"isLiveblogLive":null,"isLiveblog":false,"cetUnit":"buzz_body","bodyAds":["

\r\n\r\n","

\r\n\r\n"],"adCount":0},"isCollectionEmbed":false}">

America's top diplomat Antony Blinken has said an attempted armed mutiny in Russia shows "real cracks" in President Vladimir Putin's authority.

Russia expert Misha Glenny spoke to #BBCBreakfast https://t.co/JRdCw6VmRn pic.twitter.com/UxO5OvvoYO
BBC Breakfast (@BBCBreakfast) June 26, 2023

Your Support Has Never Been More Critical

Other news outlets have retreated behind paywalls. At HuffPost, we believe journalism should be free for everyone.

Would you help us provide essential information to our readers during this critical time? We can't do it without you.

Can't afford to contribute? Support HuffPost by creating a free account and log in while you read.

You've supported HuffPost before, and we'll be honest we could use your help again . We view our mission to provide free, fair news as critically important in this crucial moment, and we can't do it without you.

Whether you give once or many more times, we appreciate your contribution to keeping our journalism free for all.

Whether you give just one more time or sign up again to contribute regularly, we appreciate you playing a part in keeping our journalism free for all.

Support HuffPost

U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken on Sunday said we havent seen the last act of this uprising.

I think you have seen cracks emerge that werent there before: first in having Prigozhin raise front and center questioning the very premises of the Russian aggression against Ukraine to begin with the argument that somehow Ukraine or NATO posed a threat to Russia, and a direct challenge to Putin himself, Blinken said .

The mutiny appears to have damaged Putins standing in Russia and also has raised questions about its impact on the war in Ukraine.