According to Prigozhin’s confession
US government ‘not surprised’ by election interference
11/07/2022 10:17 p.m
The head of the Wagner mercenary group speaks openly about interference in US elections that has taken place and is still planned. Washington is little surprised at the admission of “Putin’s cook” – but announces steps of caution ahead of the upcoming congressional elections.
The US government is not surprised at the admission of Russian influence on the forthcoming election. “These comments tell us nothing new or surprising,” White House spokeswoman Karine Jean-Pierre told reporters. The Russian businessman and head of the Wagner mercenary group, Yevgeny Prigozhin, had previously spoken publicly of interference in US elections for the first time.
“It is well known and publicly well documented that organizations linked to Yevgeny Prigozhin have attempted to influence elections around the world, including the US,” Jean-Pierre said. Tuesday’s midterm elections in the United States will elect a new Congress and dozens of governors, and fill thousands of other state and local political offices. President Joe Biden instructed “to take all appropriate steps to ensure a safe vote,” the spokeswoman said.
Prigozhin: “We will continue to interfere”
Prigozhin had previously spoken out in an entry on the online network VKontakte, the Russian equivalent of Facebook. “We interfered, we interfered and we will continue to interfere. Carefully, accurately, surgically and in our own way, since we know how to do it,” Prigozhin wrote.
“During our pinpoint operations, we will remove both kidneys and the liver at once,” he added, without clarifying the statement. Prigozhin is also nicknamed “Putin’s cook”. His catering company has several contracts with the Kremlin. For years he stayed in the background.
Only recently has he become more public, among other things with criticism of Russian generals for their warfare in Ukraine. In September, he also said he was the founder of the Kremlin-affiliated Wagner Troupe, which is active in Syria, Ukraine and Africa.
His name is on the EU, UK and US sanctions lists. In July, the US State Department offered a reward of up to $10 million for information about Prigozhin related to alleged US election meddling. He is the first person who is confronted with such allegations and who also makes an influence public.