It is difficult for Americans, I think, to understand what Prigozhin’s march on the Kremlin was all about and, more significantly, what its implications might be. In an Amy Goodman interview that I found interesting, Dr. Nina Khrushcheva, prof. of International Affairs at The New School in NYC and great granddaughter of Nikita Khrushchev, was asked why did Prigozhin turn around when it looked like everyone was cheering him on, with no apparent opposition? Doesn’t everyone hate Putin’s failed war?
Khrushcheva said that what the Russian people saw was one group of war heroes parading with another group — Russia’s version of Kabuki Theater. It wasn’t that they were egging them on. It was more along the lines of having a good laugh with them at the sport of it all.
But in Moscow at least the feelings went deeper. It was felt that it is better to stick with the devil you know than a worse devil. Everyone understands that Putin is a far right ultranationalist fascist, but he at least plays the game of being a leader on the world stage. He plays the role of a level headed leader. In contrast, they see Prigozhin as a bloodthirsty ultranationalist fascist without boundaries who launches into tirades and he frightens them.
As for why Prigozhin quit, what Prigozhin needed to see was what he wasn’t seeing, the Russian military rallying to his side.
Goodman asked Khrushcheva what parallels could be drawn with past coup attempts, such as in 1991. But Khrushcheva said there are no good parallels because in the past, coups were between diametrically opposed ideologies, such as ultranationalists vs. those favoring democracy. It certainly appeared as if the Russian people were taking it in as spectators, without really having a stake in the outcome.