China confirmed on Sunday that it supports Russia in “defending national stability” in Beijing’s first official comment on a short-lived armed uprising launched by Yevgeny Prigozhin, leader of the Wagner group.

The Chinese Foreign Ministry said in a statement that China, as a “friendly neighbor and partner in the new era of comprehensive strategic cooperation, supports Russia in maintaining national stability and achieving development and prosperity.”

The statement emphasizes that Beijing considers this issue an “internal affair” of Russia.

US Secretary of State comments on the situation in Russia

On the American side, US Secretary of State Anthony Blinken said on Sunday that the suppressed rebellion by the leader of the Wagner group showed that there were “real cracks” in the level of power of Russian President Vladimir Putin.

Blinken confirmed in statements by the American CBS network that the Wagner leader’s mutiny “was a direct challenge to Putin’s authority.”

He continued: “This question raises serious questions and shows the presence of real cracks,” noting that unrest in Russia could go on for months.

He added, “It’s too early to talk about the future of Wagner’s elements. We haven’t seen the final chapter of the story yet,” noting that US President Joe Biden has not tried to communicate with Putin.

Details of the Wagner group uprising

From Friday evening to Saturday evening, the people of the founder of the Wagner group, a longtime associate of Russian President Putin, went towards Moscow, during which they took control of a number of military installations in southern Russia.

However, Prigozhin and the Kremlin announced the end of the uprising on Saturday evening and Wagner’s forces began a gradual withdrawal, but the situation is still unstable.