Will Hurd Says He Is Disappointed With U.S. Response To Russian Mercenaries' Revolt

Former Texas Republican Rep. Will Hurd, who is running for the 2024 GOP presidential nomination, on Sunday voiced disappointment with how the Biden administration handled the weekend mutiny in Russia.

Hurd said the only words coming out of the White House were: “We’re actively monitoring” the situation.

“There’s another word for that — that’s wringing your hands and doing nothing,” Hurd told ABC’s “This Week.”

Hurd added that the U.S. missed an opportunity to take advantage of the chaos surrounding Russia and its Wagner Group of mercenaries.

“We had intelligence reports that suggests that this was going forward,” Hurd said. “We should have been planning with our allies. We should have been planning with the Ukrainians on how to take advantage of this opportunity.” 

U.S. spy agencies notified the White House after learning in mid-June that Wagner Group chief Yevgeny Prigozhin was planning an armed rebellion against Russia’s defense establishment, The Washington Post reported.

President Joe Biden spoke to Ukrainian leader Volodymyr Zelenskyy Sunday.

“They discussed Ukraine’s ongoing counter-offensive, and President Biden reaffirmed unwavering U.S. support, including through continued security, economic, and humanitarian aid,” the White House said in a statement. “The leaders also discussed recent events in Russia.”

Secretary of State Antony Blinken also weighed in on the mutiny , calling it “extraordinary.”

“I think you have seen cracks emerge that weren’t 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 told CNN .

The rebellion, which lasted under 24 hours, saw Prigozhin’s forces taking control of the Russian military headquarters in Rostov-on-Don that oversees fighting in Ukraine. The mercenaries later advanced toward Moscow before pulling back after the Kremlin struck a deal to send Prigozhin to Belarus. 

During the interview, Hurd also targeted his 2024 rivals, former President Donald Trump and Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, over their  stance on the Ukraine war, which he described as “wrong.”

“I wish they would stop fighting with American companies like Disney and be more interested in supporting our allies against attacks, against democracy,” Hurd said in a subtle dig at DeSantis’ ongoing legal fight with the entertainment giant.