離開
進入被消失？普廷稱法律架構下「瓦格納不存在」
瓦格納叛變後遭俄政府收編。（路透）
〔即時新聞／綜合報導〕俄羅斯傭兵集團瓦格納叛變引起全球關注，雖然一度進逼首都莫斯科，最後仍與政府達成協議。在此之後，俄政府迅速削減瓦格納力量。俄總統普廷甚至說，以法律層面來說，瓦格納並不存在。
《BBC》報導，普廷當地時間週四受訪時表示，瓦格納傭兵可以選擇持續替俄國正規軍效力，「他們將會由一名真正的指揮官（指自己）來領導」。普廷還強調，因為沒有為私人軍事組織設計的法律架構，所以「瓦格納並不存在」。
瓦格納被視為在2014年協助俄國侵占克里米亞半島的推手之一；先前則在巴赫姆特與烏克蘭部隊血戰。如今，五角大廈發言人指出，俄軍在烏克蘭戰場上的作戰行動中，瓦格納不會再參與任何重要環節或職務。
美總統拜登在芬蘭出席北歐領袖峰會時也談及此事，他說，「只有老天曉得他（瓦格納集團首領普里格津）可能做出什麼事。我們甚至不知道他在哪，以及他和普廷的關係。如果我是他，我就會留意我吃了什麼。」
The Wagner mercenary group is no longer "participating in any significant capacity in support of combat operations in Ukraine", a Pentagon spokesperson has said.
It comes weeks after the group's 24-hour mutiny in Russia - a challenge to President Vladimir Putin's authority.
Wagner is thought to have helped Russia annex Crimea in 2014, and has fought some of its bloodiest recent battles.
It was instrumental in capturing the eastern city of Bakhmut for Russia.
Under the deal that ended the June rebellion, Wagner fighters were told they could join the regular Russian army or head to Belarus with their chief, Yevgeny Prigozhin.
Earlier in the day, US President Joe Biden told a news conference in Finland that Prighozin should be careful of poisoning following the uprising.
Speaking after a summit with Nordic leaders in Helsinki, he also said there was no possibility of Mr Putin winning the war in Ukraine.
"He's already lost that war," the president said.
Mr Biden suggested the Russian president would eventually "decide it's not in the interest of Russia, economically, politically or otherwise to continue this war. But I can't predict exactly how that happens."
He also expressed the "hope and expectation" that Ukraine would make enough progress in its current counter-offensive for there to be a negotiated peace settlement.
But over one month into the long-planned Ukrainian counter-offensive, some Ukrainians and their allies are expressing concerns over the slow progress of Kyiv's troops.
Others believe that Russia's defences will eventually shatter, allowing Ukraine to seize strategically significant territory and to advance towards Russian-seized Crimea.
Ukraine has long asked Western allies to provide more military assistance to help its resistance against the Russian invasion.
Although it did not get a solid timeframe for Nato membership at a recent summit in Lithuania, it did receive from G7 members a long-term security framework to help guard against Russian aggression.
On Thursday, Ukrainian army commander Oleksandr Tarnavskyi told US broadcaster CNN that the military had received the first consignment of cluster munitions promised by the US in a controversial move.
He stressed that they would make a difference to Ukraine's fortunes on the front line. "We just got them, we haven't used them yet, but they can radically change [the battlefield]," Mr Tarnavskyi said.
