June 29, Thursday, 2023

1. A Russian newspaper says a senior general with the country’s military has been arrested in connection to the rebellion carried out by the Wagner Group. The Moscow Times said Surovikin, the deputy commander of Russia’s military operation in Ukraine, reportedly chose to side with Wagner leader Yevgeny Prigozhin during the uprising. The two are said to have been close. 2. Western leaders say the recent armed rebellion led by Yevgeny Prigozhin, head of the Wagner mercenary group, has undermined the leadership of Russian President Vladimir Putin. US President Joe Biden was asked by reporters at the White House on Wednesday if Putin had been weakened by the uprising. He said, “Absolutely.”
3. Japan and South Korea have agreed to resume a currency swap deal between the two countries, in another sign that bilateral relations are warming.