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."

Asked about the extent of the damage to Putin, Biden answered that it is hard to tell, but that he is clearly losing the war.

Biden went on to say: "He's losing the war at home. He's become a bit of a pariah around the world."

German Chancellor Olaf Scholz echoed Biden's view in an interview with public broadcaster ARD on Wednesday.

Scholz said the failed mutiny has diminished Putin as "the autocratic power structures have cracks in them and he is not as firmly in the saddle as he always asserts."