Iran supports rule of law in Russia, situation is an 'internal affair'
The US and Europe confirm that they are monitoring the situation as they continue to urge their citizens to be careful amid the heightened situation between Russia and the Wagner group.
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Iran’s Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Nasser Kanaani at a news conference in Tehran, Iran, in an undated photo (AFP)
Concerning the current developments in Russia, Iranian Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Nasser Kanaani commented on Saturday that they are Russia's internal affair, confirming that Iran supports the rule of law in Russia in light of the attempted armed mutiny by the head of the Wagner Group private military company (PMC) Yevgeny Prigozhin.
"Foreign Ministry spokesman Nasser Kanaani called the incident in Russia an internal affair of the country and added that Iran supports the rule of law in the Russian Federation," a Telegram post revealed.
Blinken, G7 FMs, Borrell discuss situation in Russia
Simultaneously, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken held a phone call on Saturday with G7 foreign ministers alongside EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell to not only discuss the current developments in Russia but to reiterate US support for Ukraine.
Rostov southern military district HQ.
— ayden (@squatsons) June 24, 2023
Still zero fighting occurring. pic.twitter.com/LZnZxbhCzv
State Department Spokesperson Matthew Miller said in a readout, "Secretary Blinken spoke today with Foreign Ministers from Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, and the United Kingdom and the EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy to discuss the ongoing situation in Russia."
"Secretary Blinken reiterated that support by the United States for Ukraine will not change. The United States will stay in close coordination with Allies and partners as the situation continues to develop," he continued.
Europe warns citizens while monitoring the situation
Meanwhile, senior European officials such as Dutch Foreign Minister Wopke Hoekstra and German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock claimed to be in close contact with their international partners to get a clearer image of the updates in Russia while calling on their citizens to be careful in Russia.
Read next: UK Intelligence says Wagner will 'certainly' intend to reach Moscow
The Czech Republic, Romania, and Switzerland have also confirmed that they are monitoring the situation. Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni claimed that Russia's actions against Ukraine were the reasons behind the instability within Russia itself.
This comes after the Russian Federal Security Service (FSB) launched a criminal case for armed mutiny statements made on behalf of Prigozhin. When alarms were sounded off, Putin delivered a televised address to the nation on Saturday to describe the armed mutiny as treason and vowed harsh measures against the insurgents.
Prigozhin called on the group's supporters inside the Russian Federation to join his movement and rebel against Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu, as well as the Chief of Staff and commander of the military operations in Ukraine Army General Valery Gerasimov.
The head of Wagner conditioned that he would only withdraw from Rostov, the city he claims to have taken control of Saturday morning, if Shoigu resigned. Meanwhile, the Defense Ministry rejected his claims of an airstrike targeting his forces.
