Putin will try to consolidate power after Wagner insurrection, Zelensky says
Exclusive from CNN's Erin Burnett, Yon Pomrenze, Mick Krever and Victoria Butenko in Odesa, Ukraine
As Russian President Vladimir Putin navigates the aftermath of last month's stunning Wagner insurrection, he will be trying to "consolidate his society," Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said in an exclusive CNN interview.
"He will (do) everything in order to break and nullify the Wagnerites' fame and everything they were doing. He will be distancing himself from all that and will be communicating extensively in order to unify the society," Zelensky said.
He added that Putin had been notably out of public sight since a secretive Kremlin deal ended the mercenary group's brief, chaotic rebellion.
"After all these events, where did Putin go?" Zelensky said. "He rarely comes outside to the street. We see him in his offices, etc., but we never see him out and about."
Behind the scenes: Some analysts agree that Putin is likely working behind the scenes to calm any troubled waters in the Kremlin and secure his position.
"He will do everything to consolidate his power. He will execute necessary purges or will reshuffle some people. He will not just let it go," said Alexander Korolev, a senior lecturer in politics and international relations at the University of New South Wales in Australia.
He added that Putin's moves may not be "very visible to external observers, but he will do everything, like any authoritarian leader would do, to make sure that his grip on power is strong, especially now when there is war."
CNN's Jessie Yeung contributed reporting to this post.
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