After Wagner Mercenary Uprising, Christie Says Ukraine War ‘Closer to a Resolution’

Former New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie speaks at a town-hall-style event at the New Hampshire Institute of Politics at Saint Anselm College in Manchester, New Hampshire, on June 6, 2023. Michael M. Santiago/Getty Images

As a sudden uprising against the Russian state by the Wagner mercenary group ended abruptly, former New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie said Russian President Vladimir Putin’s “weakness” is “obvious now inside his own country.”

Moreover, Christie said that supporting Ukraine to fight against the Russian military could help contain communist China’s hegemonic ambition.

“I think that what this may do … is move us closer to a resolution of this battle because of Putin’s weakness that’s obvious now inside his own country,“ Christie said during an interview on ABC’s ”This Week” on June 25.

“I think, in large part, because of the way he’s prosecuted this war.”

Christie, who has formally launched his second bid for the presidency, reiterated that the United States should continue its support to Ukraine and the goal is to repel the Russian military.

“America’s support, along with our allies in NATO, of Ukraine, has done a great deal to cause what we’re seeing right now in Russia, Putin’s misadventure,” he said. “And all the missteps that happened by the Biden administration, the Trump administration, and the Obama administration on this issue have led to this moment.

“I think you have to watch this very carefully, but we have to continue to support Ukraine,” Christie said. “We have to give them the weapons they need to fight their battle against the Russians and to repel them.”

Then-President Donald Trump (L) speaks with then-Gov. Chris Christie (R-N.J.) after he delivered remarks on combatting drug demand and the opioid crisis, in the East Room of the White House in Washington on Oct. 26, 2017. Jim Watson/AFP via Getty Images

‘Proxy War With China’

Christie argued that backing Ukraine to fight against the Russian military could help counter the Chinees Communist Party’s (CCP) hegemonic ambition.

“You know, we need to make sure that we’re engaged because, believe me, this is the first fight in the proxy war with China. China is funding this war for Russia by buying Russian oil,” he said.

“We need to make sure that we continue to engage in this way. We do not want a world that is dominated by communist China. And so this is a fight that America needs to have.

“At the end of this sacrifice, I am absolutely a believer in the fact that America will be bigger, stronger, richer, and more influential in the world because we stood by our principles and stood by our friends,” he added.

Christie has used his firm support of U.S. aid to Ukraine’s defense to set himself apart from other Republican presidential candidates, namely former president Donald Trump and Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis.

Trump previously contended that opposing Russia in its ongoing war with Ukraine is more important to Europe’s strategic interest, saying, “That is why Europe should be paying far more than we are, or equal.”

Trump said that if he were elected, he could facilitate an end to the conflict in “24 hours.”

“It can be done, and it must be done—now!” he told Fox News in March.

At that time, DeSantis also said that checking the economic, cultural, and military power of the CCP is a more vital U.S. national interest than helping Ukraine in its conflict with Russia.

China's Foreign Minister Qin Gang attends a press conference at Media Center in Beijing on March 7, 2023. Lintao Zhang/Getty Images

Christie’s comment came as Beijing voiced support for Russia following the short-lived mutiny in Moscow.

In a statement released late Sunday, a spokesperson of Beijing’s foreign ministry described the armed uprising over the weekend as “Russia’s internal affairs.”

The spokesperson stated that the CCP supports Russia in “maintaining its national stability and achieving development and prosperity.”

The brief comment came after a Sunday meeting between Chinese Foreign Minister Qin Gang and Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Andrei Rudenko in Beijing.

Rudenko also met with Chinese Vice Foreign Minister Ma Zhaoxu during the unannounced trip to Beijing, where the two sides vowed to “safeguard the common interests” under the “complex and severe” international situation, China’s foreign ministry said.

The Chinese regime, which has repeatedly affirmed its “no limits” partnership with Russia throughout the Ukraine war, previously remained silent as the crisis unfolded in Russia.

On Sunday, the Wagner mercenary group stopped its advance toward Moscow and returned to its base after a deal was reached between its leader, Yevgeny Prigozhin, and the Kremlin.

U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken said the upheaval showed “cracks” in Putin’s power.

“We see cracks emerging,” Blinken told ABC on Sunday. “Where they go, if anywhere, when they get there, very hard to say. I don’t want to speculate.”

Blinken added, “I don’t think we’ve seen the final act.”

Caden Pearson contributed to this report.