Putin and Prigozhin met – they had a long meeting in Moscow

Russian President Vladimir Putin And Yevgeny Prigozhin They met on June 29, says the press spokesman for the Russian president Dmitry Peskov According to Russian state media. It was five days after the armed uprising of the Wagner Group, which had only reached a few dozen miles from Moscow.

The meeting is said to have lasted for three hours, with a total of 35 participants in the form of Wagner’s various managers.

Vladimir Putin is said to have raised the Wagner Group’s efforts in Ukraine and “the events of June 24,” according to Peskov.

Looking at his story

– The officers gave their version of what happened. They emphasized that they are loyal supporters and soldiers of the head of state and commander-in-chief (Putin), and also said that they are ready to continue fighting for their homeland, says Dmitry Peskov.

On June 24, as Wagner’s soldiers marched across Russia without encountering any significant resistance, President Putin appeared on television and said “The fate of our people has been decided.” Calling Yevgeny Prigozhin a traitor, he called the uprising a “stab in the back” for himself and all Russians, and vowed to brutally punish it.

At least 13 Russian soldiers were killed during the day, when Wagner’s column was attacked by attack helicopters and he responded by shooting down several of them.

According to an agreement finally reached in the evening – which ended the “march” to Moscow – Yevgeny Prigozhin and the Wagner soldiers would be granted impunity and travel freely to neighboring Belarus.

Many flights

In the time since then, Prigozhin’s private plane has flown back and forth between Minsk, St. Petersburg, Moscow and Rostov-on-Don. He himself is not seen or given any major description of what is happening or about to happen.

In addition, Russian special forces have cracked down on his various businesses, and Putin, who has been Prigozhin’s benefactor for many years, has promised to review his money flows.

Wagner’s soldiers were offered conscription into the regular army. Bases in Belarus have been prepared to receive thousands of them.

It is not clear if any representative of the Ministry of Defense, for example the Minister of Defense appointed by Prigozhin Sergey Shoigu Or the Chief of the General Staff Valerig Gerasimovattended the June 29 meeting.