Mutiny in Russia weakens Wagner abroad

If the

Wagner Group’s mutiny

has set off schadenfreude in Western capitals over the predicament of Russian President Vladimir Putin, it will spread unease through the palaces of the Middle East. The region’s rulers, reactionary autocrats almost to a man, tend to be nervous about uprisings of any kind – not least for fear they may inspire potential rebels closer to home.

Leaders of the Arab world will doubtless follow the example of Turkey’s President Recep Tayyip Erdogan in providing Mr Putin with reassurances of support. Nowhere is that more true than in the Gulf’s petrostates, which, in addition to a dread of unrest, have strong ties to Russia through their common interest in propping up the price of oil.