Just days following the thwarted mutiny attempt led by Wagner Group leader Yevgeny Prigozhin, Russian President Vladimir Putin held a three-hour meeting with him on June 29th. Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov confirmed the meeting, offering limited details but stating that Putin assessed Wagner's battlefield performance and the events of June 24th.
Peskov relayed that Wagner commanders professed their loyalty to Putin, emphasizing their readiness to continue fighting for Russia. This contradicts the positive reception Prigozhin and his troops seemingly received during their brief, bloodless takeover of Rostov-on-Don, the headquarters of Russia's southern military district command.
Approximately 35 individuals, including Wagner's top commanders, attended the meeting. The presence of Russian Ministry of Defense officials remains unclear. Prigozhin has consistently maintained that his actions targeted Russia's top military leadership, not Putin himself, alleging mistreatment of Wagner forces in Ukraine. His so-called "march for justice" reportedly ended through a deal brokered by Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko, the specifics of which remain undisclosed.
While initial reports suggested Prigozhin would be exiled to Belarus in exchange for halting his advance on Moscow, recent sightings in St. Petersburg, confirmed by Lukashenko, cast doubt on this arrangement. The original agreement may have been different or simply not implemented.
