That very rare if never before seen situation in terms of headlines significance. Not only what happens when 2 bullies face each other, but too then coupled with no one in the crowd rooting for either.
Bullies thrive (feed off) on the strength from the gang behind them, and growing that loyalist base. Without that, they are weak insecure cowardly snowflakes.
Putin's gang has been the KGB (now FSB), personal security forces, elite military units like Spetsnaz, the top military staff like Shoigu and until Saturday the rank and file military (kinda...Ukraine War has steadily chipped (increasingly an understatement) that away the last 18 months).
Prigoshin his wealth and powerful Wagner mercenary forces, stretched across the globe. Prigozhin a defacto modern day Ernst Rohm, his Wagner forces his SA brownshirts equivalent.
Prigozhin the last few months really taking advantage of the Ukraine War and Putin's debacle to self-promote himself to be a powerful motherland defending tough guy. To add to the image crafting, always seen in full military garb (a little old man in battle fatigues and body armor), barking anti-military/Kremlin establishment rhetoric, all choreographed using just fought battle backdrop scenes (and acting like he was in the middle of the battle...he wasn't) and 50 or so macho nasty looking armed to the teeth mercenaries behind him...his gang.
The message to the viewers and Moscow elites "I'm one big badass. Don't mess with me. That means you too Vlad".
The moment of fingernail biting truth for each Saturday was the Wagner convoy's march up the interstate from Rostov to Moscow. Both Prigozhin and Putin knew it was pivotal to see who's gang would grow along the way and who's would fade. Evidence Putin didn't know which was his hasty cut and run departure from Moscow. He saw in 1991 that regime change attempting situations like these are wild cards in Russia. This time seeing he may be on the losing end.
Both needed to see substantive evidence the Russian military was either behind them (Putin) or joining them (Prigozhin). Both were stunned that it did neither...it was decidedly a spectator.
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