Ukrainian Ambassador: EU considers scenario Russia's collapse

Ambassador of Ukraine to the EU Vsevolod Chentsov said this on Radio Liberty, Ukrinform reports.

Commenting on the attempted mutiny by the "Wagner" PMC in Russia, the diplomat noted that the European Union was not just watching the developments, but was engaged in an intensive dialogue, including with the Ukrainian leadership. In this context, he recalled that the EU Council had decided to increase by €3.5 billion the upper limit of the European Peace Facility, which pays compensation to countries for weapons transferred to Ukraine.

"This is not an observation, it is a willingness to act on the part of the European Union and ministers (of EU member states)," Chentsov said.

He also informed that the European Union is considering various options for the development of events in Russia, including its collapse.

"The European Union has been discussing for a long time the development of scenarios for the EU and its member states in the event of Russia's collapse, among other things. This war... of course, has united and mobilized the European Union, but it has also taught us to act proactively, to consider different scenarios and not to rely on a rational approach, on the mind of Russian leaders. Thus, they now realize that anything can be expected from Russia and anything can happen there," the Ukrainian Ambassador to the EU said.

As Ukrinform reported, EU High Representative Josep Borrell said on June 26 that the European Union is closely monitoring developments in Russia, which remain unpredictable, as the armed intervention of the Wagner group showed the weakening of the state and Putin's personal authority, and put the entire political system of the Russian Federation on the brink of collapse.

On June 23, the leader of the "Wagner" PMC Yevgeny Prigozhin, announced a demarche against the Russian military leadership, in particular against Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu.

As a result of the offensive, the "Wagner" PMC column reached the Lipetsk region of Russia, 420 kilometers from Moscow.

Self-proclaimed President of Belarus Alexander Lukashenko held talks with the founder of the "Wagner" PMC Yevgeny Prigozhin, after which the latter stated that the group's fighters were returning to their field camps.