Putin met with Wagner boss days after failed mutiny

Moscow, July 10 (EFE) – Russian President Vladimir Putin met with the leader of the Wagner mercenary group, Yevgeny Prigozhin, days after a failed mutiny, according to the Kremlin on Monday.

The meeting, which was also attended by all the commanders of the mercenary company, lasted for three hours on June 29, Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov told reporters.

Wagner fighters have played a crucial role in Russia’s war against Ukraine. However, Prigozhin, who had an ongoing rift with Russia’s military leadership, declared an armed mutiny on June 24 that almost led his mercenaries to march into Moscow.

The mutiny was stopped after Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko intervened, causing the Wagner fighters to halt their march and Prigozhin to seek asylum in Belarus.

The Kremlin spokesperson stated that Putin provided his “assessment” of Wagner’s contributions on the battlefield in Ukraine and “the events of June 24,” referring to the short-lived mutiny.

Peskov said the president “listened to the explanations of the commanders and offered them options for future employment and continued engagement in combat.”

“The commanders themselves presented their version of the events. They emphasized that they are loyal supporters and soldiers of the head of state and the commander-in-chief, and they also expressed their readiness to continue fighting for their homeland,” Peskov said. EFE

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