Wagner Group boss Yevgeny Prigozhin and his commanders pledge allegiance to Russian President Vladimir Putin. Photo/Collage/Sindonews
MOSCOW – President Russia Vladimir Putin and the boss of the mercenary group Wagner , Yevgeny Prigozhin , face to face to have a long talk. It comes just days after the mercenary group’s failed uprising last month.
TASS reported that Kremlin spokesman Dmitri S. Peskov said Putin, Prigozhin and another Wagner commander met for three hours at the Kremlin on June 29. By that time, an agreement had been brokered for Prigozhin and Wagner’s troops to be exiled to Belarus to avoid prosecution.
The parties met just five days after Wagner’s brief but armed uprising against the Russian military leadership on June 24, which nearly ended with a march on Moscow.
Peskov said that during the meeting, Putin gave his assessment of Wagner’s actions at the front during the special military operation and the events of June 24, while also listening to Wagner’s explanation of the mutiny.
Then, said Peskov, Putin offered the Wagner commander further options for further employment and use in combat. Meanwhile Wagner, including Prigozhin, pledged allegiance to Putin.
“They emphasized that they are loyal supporters and soldiers of the head of state and commander-in-chief, and also said that they are ready to continue fighting for the Motherland,” Peskov was quoted as saying. InsiderMonday (10/7/2023).
Prigozhin has been hard to pin down since the uprising of Wagner, who was said to have been exiled to Belarus but recently emerged in St. Petersburg. Petersburg last week. He may not even have been in Belarus at all, instead using a body double.
It is not clear what the future of Russia’s military and Wagner’s role in Ukraine will be. The Kremlin’s announcement of the meeting comes as analysts and critics suspect Putin’s grip on power may be weakening.
The Russian president has ruled with an iron fist for 20 years, but his lapses in Ukraine and the spat between Wagner and Russia’s military leadership have raised questions about the stability of his position.
(ian)
2023-07-10 16:27:18
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