Russian President Vladimir Putin met with Wagner head Yevgeny Prigozhin for three hours, the Kremlin acknowledged, just days after a brief uprising staged by the mercenary chief and his private army.
The announcement comes only days after Russia’s defense ministry released a video of the country’s military chief, Valery Gerasimov, for the first time since Wagner’s revolt to depose him.
Both changes appeared to be an attempt by Moscow to reclaim control of the Wagner Group narrative following a difficult period.
During last month’s unexpected but brief uprising in Russia, Wagner head attacked Gerasimov and Defence Minister Sergey Shoigu, blaming them of neglecting to send supplies to his soldiers in Ukraine.
The Putin-Prigozhin meeting took place on June 29 at the Kremlin and was attended by military leaders, according to Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov.
The revelation of a face-to-face meeting with Putin, who has labeled Prigozhin a traitor, adds another layer of uncertainty to the mercenary chief’s situation. His fate and whereabouts have been unknown since the failed coup, which many experts believe has damaged Putin’s authority.
According to Peskov, Putin offered an “assessment” of Wagner’s actions on the battlefield in Ukraine and “of the events of June 24” – the armed rebellion which was halted just before hoards of mercenaries planned to march on Moscow.
The president also “listened to the explanations of the commanders and offered them options for further employment and further use in combat” during the meeting.
“The commanders themselves presented their version of what happened,” Peskov said. “They underscored that they are staunch supporters and soldiers of the head of state and the commander-in-chief, and also said that they are ready to continue to fight for their homeland.”
Thirty-five people took part in the talks, including Wagner commanders and the leadership of the company, namely Prigozhin himself.
Wagner mutiny
Tensions had come to a head on June 24, after Prigozhin raged for months at Russia’s top brass in foul-mouthed diatribes, accusing them of incompetence in their war efforts in Ukraine.
Prigozhin had cast his Wagner fighters as leading on the battlefields and, throughout the Ukraine war, had been first to announce gains against Kyiv’s troops, ahead of the Russian army.
Last month’s mutiny threw the top mercenary’s long-standing relations with Putin into question and, so it seemed, he was exiled to Belarus, under a deal brokered by President Alexander Lukashenko.
Minsk added to the uncertainty surrounding the pact last week, saying Prigozhin was no longer in Belarus, and had returned to Russia.
Observers see the rebellion as the biggest challenge to Putin’s authority since he came to power.
Wagner commanders “stressed that they are staunch supporters … of the head of state”, Peskov said. “They also said that they were ready to continue fighting for the motherland.”
‘All bets are off’: An uncertain future after Wagner muting.
Aljazeera
