Last Updated: June 27, 2023, 01:29 IST
Russian President Vladimir Putin gives a televised address in Moscow, Russia, June 26, 2023. (Sputnik/Gavriil Grigorov/Kremlin via Reuters)
The Kremlin announced a deal for Prigozhin to relocate to Belarus and receive amnesty, along with his soldiers
Russian President Vladimir Putin on Monday warned that any attempt at blackmail or creating unrest in Russia is “doomed to fail.”
This statement came in the wake of a short-lived mutiny led by Yevgeny Prigozhin, the leader of the Wagner mercenary group.
In a televised address in Moscow, Putin stated that the West and Ukraine desired to see Russians ‘kill each other’.
Read More: West and Ukraine Wanted Russians to ‘Kill Each Other’: Putin Addresses Wagner Revolt
He thanked commanders and soldiers of the private army for avoiding bloodshed, describing them as patriots.
“I promise those of Wagner who want to go to Belarus, I will keep my promise,” he added.
On Monday, Yevgeny Prigozhin released a boastful audio statement, defending his short-lived insurrection. As the Kremlin aimed to project stability, Russia’s defense minister appeared in a video reviewing troops in Ukraine.
Prigozhin clarified that his actions were not an attempt to stage a coup but rather to prevent the destruction of Wagner, his private military company. However, he provided no specific details about his whereabouts or future plans.
The feud between Prigozhin and Russia’s military leadership had been simmering throughout the war, culminating in a mutiny over the weekend when mercenaries left Ukraine to seize a military headquarters in a southern Russian city.
Surprisingly, they managed to advance unopposed for hundreds of miles towards Moscow before abruptly turning back within 24 hours on Saturday.
The Kremlin announced a deal for Prigozhin to relocate to Belarus and receive amnesty, along with his soldiers.
Although Prigozhin’s exact location remained unconfirmed, a popular Russian news channel on Telegram reported that he was staying at a hotel in the Belarusian capital, Minsk.
In his statement, Prigozhin taunted Russia’s military, boasting that his march was a “master class” on how the February 2022 invasion of Ukraine should have been executed.
He also slammed the military for its failure to protect Russia, highlighting security breaches that allowed Wagner to march towards Moscow without encountering resistance.
The details of the deal brokered by Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko remained unclear.
Prigozhin mentioned Lukashenko proposing solutions for the Wagner private military company to continue its operations in a lawful jurisdiction, hinting that his military force might be preserved. However, the specific jurisdiction he referred to was not immediately apparent.
Contrary to earlier Kremlin statements, reports indicated that the criminal case against Prigozhin had not been closed, and some Russian lawmakers called for his prosecution.
(With agency inputs)
