Bolton: We really don’t know what’s going on in Russia

Russian general knew about rebellion plans: Report
A Kremlin spokesman called the report "speculation" and "gossip"
John Bolton warns against underestimating Vladimir Putin

Updated: Jun 28, 2023 / 08:58 PM CDT

(NewsNation) — A senior Russian general reportedly knew about Yevgeny Prigozhin’s plans to rebel against Russia’s military leadership.

American intelligence officials told The New York Times that they’re trying to learn if Gen. Sergei Surovikin, Russia’s former senior general in Ukraine, conspired with Prigozhin, whose short-lived uprising posed the biggest threat to President Vladimir V. Putin since 2000.

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov saido the report amounted to “speculation” and “gossip.”

Former National Security Adviser John Bolton told NewsNation on Wednesday that “we really don’t know” the truth when it comes to what’s going on inside Russia.

“I think it’s still uncertain,” Bolton said during a Wednesday appearance on “Elizabeth Vargas Reports.” “There’s certainly disorganization inside the Russian military, particularly as it applies to the battlefield in Ukraine. … I am dubious about trying to draw too many conclusions from insufficient information. You shouldn’t underestimate Putin.”