Putin hosted Russian mercenary leader Prigozhin at the Kremlin after short-lived mutiny

Putin Welcomes Russian Mercenary Leader Prigozhin at the Kremlin Following Brief Mutiny

In a surprising turn of events, Russian President Vladimir Putin hosted Yevgeny Prigozhin, the leader of a group of mercenaries, at the Kremlin. This meeting comes just days after Prigozhin led a short-lived rebellion, raising questions about the extent of power and influence held by both men.

The Wagner forces, who have fought alongside Russian troops, pledged their loyalty to Putin during the revolt. Despite initially branding Prigozhin a traitor and promising severe punishment, the criminal case against him was later dropped.

The outcome of this meeting remains uncertain, as negotiations continue behind closed doors. In fact, when asked about Prigozhin’s whereabouts, the government spokesman, Peskov, stated that he had no information.

The announcement of the meeting coincided with the release of a video featuring military chief Gen. Valery Gerasimov, who was one of the targets of Prigozhin’s rebellion. This appears to be an attempt by the Kremlin to assert its control after a turbulent period.

However, some observers are likely to be shocked by these developments, finding them absurd and unbelievable, according to Tatiana Stanovaya, a senior fellow at the Carnegie Russia Eurasia Center.

What makes the meeting even more unusual is that Putin had previously denied any connection between the state and Prigozhin’s forces. While mercenaries are illegal in Russia, the Wagner troops have fought for Russian interests globally and played a significant role in the lengthy and bloody battle for Bakhmut.

Throughout the war, Prigozhin has been critical of decisions made by Russia’s top military officials, leading to tensions with the Kremlin, which culminated in the mutiny on June 24. Despite Prigozhin claiming that the uprising was not directed at the president but aimed at removing Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu and Gerasimov, it weakened Putin’s authority. Eventually, a deal was brokered for Prigozhin to go to Belarus, ending the mutiny.

While Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko initially stated that Prigozhin was in Belarus, he later contradicted himself, saying that the mercenary chief was in Russia while his troops remained in their camps.

During the June 29 meeting, Putin reportedly provided an assessment of Wagner’s actions on the battlefield in Ukraine and the events of June 24. He listened to the explanations of the commanders and offered them options for future employment and combat use, as stated by the Kremlin spokesman, Peskov. A total of 35 people participated in the meeting.

As the NATO summit approaches, discussions are underway on increasing pressure on Moscow after 16 months of war.

In southern Ukraine, a Russian airstrike on a school resulted in the death of four adults who were gathering to receive humanitarian aid. The attack has been denounced as a war crime by the governor of Ukraine’s Zaporizhzhia region. Russia has denied targeting civilian locations, although it has faced numerous accusations of war crimes since its invasion of Ukraine in February 2022.

Investigations into war crimes are ongoing in Ukraine, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, and Poland. The International Center for the Prosecution of the Crime of Aggression against Ukraine, located in The Hague, is assisting with these probes.

Zaporizhzhia province, which houses Europe’s largest nuclear power plant, was seized by Russian forces at the beginning of the war and illegally annexed by Putin last year. Retaking the province is a key objective of the Ukrainian counteroffensive.

Russian aerial assaults continued across Ukraine, targeting residential areas in multiple cities and villages. The Ukrainian presidential office reported injuries and damage caused by the Russian attacks.

For more information on the Ukraine-Russia war, please visit https://bigbignews.net/russia-ukraine.

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