Russian President Vladimir Putin met with the head of the Wagner private military company, Evgeny Prigozhin, several days after the group aborted a mutiny as part of a Belarus-mediated deal, Kremlin Press Secretary Dmitry Peskov said on Monday.
Speaking to reporters, Peskov confirmed a report by French newspaper Liberation, which claimed that the Russian leader had met with the Wagner chief. “The president had such a meeting. Thirty-five people were invited to it – all unit commanders and the company’s management, including Prigozhin himself,” he said. According to the spokesman, the gathering took place in the Kremlin on June 29 and lasted almost three hours.
"Indeed, the president had such a meeting. He invited 35 people to it. All group commanders and company management, including Prigozhin. This meeting took place in the Kremlin on June 29 and lasted almost three hours," Peskov told a briefing.
The details of the meeting are confidential, but both Putin and Wagner commanders gave an assessment of the June 24 events, the spokesman said.
Peskov added that the president had given “an evaluation of the company’s actions” during the conflict with Ukraine, and had spoken about his assessment of the events of June 24, the day Wagner troops marched on Moscow.
“Putin listened to the commanders’ explanations and offered further employment and combat deployment options,” Peskov stated. He added that Wagner commanders had provided their account of the mutiny, while “emphasizing that they are staunch supporters and soldiers of the head of state,” and are “ready to fight for the motherland going forward.”
On June 23, Prigozhin vowed retaliation after accusing the Russian Defense Ministry of staging a fatal missile strike on a Wagner camp. In the following hours, the company’s troops captured several military installations in the southern Russian city of Rostov-on-Don, with some forces marching on Moscow. A criminal case was opened against Prigozhin.
Prigozhin agreed to halt Wagner’s advance on June 24 as part of a deal with the Russian government mediated by Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko. According to the terms, Moscow agreed to drop the criminal case against the Wagner chief, with Prigozhin consenting to move to Belarus.
Last week, Lukashenko suggested that Wagner forces could be used to defend Belarus, adding that he is “not troubled that we’ll have a certain number of these fighters stationed [in the country].”
Ukraine's Accession to NATO to Have Negative Consequences for European Security - Kremlin
The accession of Ukraine to NATO will have very negative consequences for the European security architecture, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said on Monday. You know the absolutely understandable and consistent position of Russia that Ukraine's membership in NATO will have very, very negative consequences for the entire already half-ruined security architecture in Europe and will be an absolute danger, a threat to our country," Peskov told reporters.
Kiev's accession will require a fairly clear and firm response from Russia, the official added.
Currently there are no talks scheduled between Russian President Vladimir Putin and Turkish leader Recep Tayyip Erdogan, but if the grain deal needs to be discussed, it will take place, Dmitry Peskov said.
"No, there has not been a conversation at the moment, but if necessary, it will appear in the schedule. Putin and Erdogan very quickly, promptly coordinate telephone contacts. If necessary, such a discussion will take place. But so far nothing has changed in terms of the deal and we cannot tell you anything new," Peskov told a briefing.
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