President Vladimir V. Putin of Russia held a prolonged assembly with Yevgeny V. Prigozhin and commanders of his Wagner personal navy firm simply days after they’d launched a mutiny that put the nation getting ready to a civil battle, the Kremlin disclosed on Monday.
Mr. Putin had denounced the leaders of the June 23-24 rise up as traitors, so the startling revelation that he performed host to them on June 29 means that for all his bluster, he noticed a continued use for the mercenary group and its boss. The assembly is the primary identified contact between the 2 males for the reason that rebellion, which posed probably the most dramatic problem to Mr. Putin’s authority in his 23 years in energy.
Information of the assembly added to the thriller of what’s going to change into of Mr. Prigozhin and his pressure after the riot. It stays unclear why a warlord together with his personal personal military, who tried to depose the Russian navy management by pressure, has been allowed to stay within the nation, apparently unhindered, allegedly even returning to his hometown, St. Petersburg, to choose up his confiscated weapons.
Mr. Putin invited 35 folks to the three-hour assembly, together with Mr. Prigozhin and all of Wagner’s prime commanders, and gave his evaluation of the corporate’s efforts on the battlefield in Ukraine, in addition to its actions within the mutiny, Kremlin Spokesman Dmitri S. Peskov stated.
The Wagner fighters additionally supplied their rationalization of what had transpired, in response to Mr. Peskov, who recommended the gathering was an opportunity to clear the air and set a course going ahead. “Putin heard out the commanders and proposed additional employment choices and additional fight choices,” he stated.
The Wagner fighters pledged their loyalty to the Russian chief in the course of the assembly, the Kremlin spokesman added.
“They emphasised that they’re staunch supporters and troopers of the pinnacle of state and commander in chief — and likewise stated they’re ready to battle for the nation going ahead,” he stated.
The image of Mr. Prigozhin and his prime lieutenants sitting peacefully at a desk with the Russian chief — simply days after Mr. Putin had vowed to crush their rise up — contrasted with the broadly held picture of Mr. Putin as a ruthless authoritarian, adept at squelching threats to his rule.
It appeared to replicate a calculation by the Kremlin to keep away from totally eradicating an skilled combating pressure with a well-liked following in the midst of a expensive battle. The Russian president, some analysts say, may view the riot as little greater than a factional feud that obtained uncontrolled. Mr. Prigozhin has stated he got down to topple the Russian navy management — to not problem Mr. Putin’s rule.
“I’d not assume that Prigozhin is again into Putin’s finest graces without end and nothing has occurred. One thing has occurred. Conclusions have been drawn for now,” stated Alexander Gabuev, director of the Carnegie Russia Eurasia Heart. “However simply crushing them and crushing him at this level is for some purpose disadvantageous, in comparison with retaining him afloat.”
Andrei Soldatov, a Russian safety providers knowledgeable, stated Mr. Putin’s robust speak about treachery had been aimed primarily on the Russian navy, to stop any commanders from siding with the mutiny. Afterward, he stated, the president and Mr. Prigozhin “simply made one other deal.”
“We don’t know the phrases,” Mr. Soldatov added. “However the understanding is that they know one another, know what to anticipate from one another, thus they’ll nonetheless cooperate or work collectively.”
However the revolt put Mr. Putin’s vulnerability on world show, and the admission that he chatted with Wagner leaders dangers making him look weaker nonetheless.
Tatiana Stanovaya, founding father of the R.Politik political consultancy, stated the Kremlin probably determined to reveal the assembly to calm a Russian elite that continues to be confused about what transpired — about whether or not Mr. Prigozhin is a “traitor or our man.”
“It’s a sign to the elite that Prigozhin stays systemic,” Ms. Stanovaya stated. “Sure, he made a mistake, sure, it is a very severe crime. However as a result of specifics of the scenario, which is de facto very distinctive, Putin will give him the chance to outlive.”
The mutiny uncovered Mr. Putin’s incapability or unwillingness to cope with an influence wrestle that for months had raged within the open, with Mr. Prigozhin often launching profanity-laced invective at Russia’s navy management on Telegram. Ms. Stanovaya, who can be a senior fellow on the Carnegie Russia Eurasia Heart, stated she suspected Mr. Putin felt a minimum of partly chargeable for not higher managing the escalating feud.
“So for Putin, Prigozhin is after all a traitor, however he’s his traitor,” Ms. Stanovaya stated. “That’s, an individual who made a mistake out of stupidity, relatively than out of malice.”
The Kremlin beforehand had been deflecting questions on Mr. Prigozhin’s standing and whereabouts.
On the day Mr. Putin and Mr. Prigozhin met, Mr. Peskov instructed reporters he didn’t know the place Mr. Prigozhin was. The next week, Mr. Peskov stated the Kremlin had neither the “capacity nor the will” to trace his actions.
However on Friday, the French newspaper Libération reported that Mr. Putin had met with Mr. Prigozhin and his Wagner commanders on the Kremlin to “negotiate the destiny of his empire,” which embrace a spread of enterprise ventures.
On Monday, Mr. Peskov confirmed that the assembly befell, however added, “The main points of it are unknown.”
Mr. Prigozhin’s forces have been essential to Russia’s battle towards Ukraine, however final month the federal government ordered Wagner troops combating there to hitch the common navy. Going through a significant lack of energy, Mr. Prigozhin railed loudly towards the transfer, to no avail.
His fighters seized the southern Russian metropolis of Rostov-on-Don, and an essential Russian navy headquarters there, and staged a drive on Moscow that stopped inside 125 miles of the capital.
Mr. Putin warned in a nationwide handle towards a descent into civil battle, and stated the harshest punishment awaited those that had “consciously chosen the trail of betrayal.”
However the punishment didn’t come.
Hours later, the Kremlin introduced a deal, allegedly brokered by the Belarusian chief Aleksandr G. Lukashenko: Mr. Prigozhin would stand down, keep away from prosecution and depart for Belarus. Wagner fighters who had participated within the mutiny would additionally keep away from punishment; those that didn’t take part could be given the prospect to signal Russian navy contracts.
Mr. Prigozhin and his males packed up and retreated.
The settlement outraged hard-line Russian commentators, who famous that the insurrectionists had shot down Russian plane, killing navy personnel.
Within the days since, Mr. Prigozhin’s standing has been a thriller. He hasn’t made any public appearances. His firm has stopped posting responses to questions from the media. The person who stepped out of the shadows final yr to make a public identify for himself has gone quiet, a minimum of quickly.
Maybe the most important shock of all is that on this planet of Mr. Putin, the place these inflicting political issues have often ended up imprisoned or killed, Mr. Prigozhin shouldn’t be solely nonetheless alive however seems to be shifting freely round Russia.
Mr. Lukashenko stated days after the mutiny that Mr. Prigozhin had arrived in Belarus, however it’s not clear if that was true. Final week the Belarusian chief stated Mr. Prigozhin was in Russia — which U.S. officers confirmed — and was a “free man.”
On Thursday, Mr. Prigozhin was noticed arriving in a BMW 7-series sedan on the St. Petersburg headquarters of the F.S.B., a successor to the Soviet-era Okay.G.B., the place he collected weapons that the Russian authorities had seized from his nation home in the course of the mutiny, the impartial information outlet Fontanka reported. Days earlier, Fontanka stated, one in all his drivers had arrived to gather billions of rubles, tons of of hundreds of {dollars} and several other gold bars that Russian authorities had seized in automobiles parked at St. Petersburg resorts related to him.
Mr. Lukashenko stated simply after the rebellion that Wagner fighters, like their chief, could be welcome in Belarus. Final week, his authorities stated none had come, however that that may change.
A outstanding Wagner commander, Anton Yelizarov, who goes by the nom de guerre Lotos, gave an interview to a Russian battle blogger on Friday, from southern Russia, wherein he stated all Wagner fighters had been launched on break till early August — and recommended he was spending time together with his household by the ocean.
Within the interview, posted on Telegram, Mr. Yelizarov stated Wagner would stand apart in Ukraine in the meanwhile and had a variety of work to do to arrange its “exit” to Belarus.
“There’s no conflict with legislation enforcement companies, the president assured us that,” Mr. Yelizarov stated. “As for society and regular folks, you may see for your self: ladies are strolling round with patches that they coaxed off our guys, most definitely for kisses. Boys are carrying T-shirts and hats with our logos. Little youngsters are taking part in battle video games, with the Ukrainians because the Germans and Wagner PMC fighters because the Purple Military.”
He didn’t exclude the potential of the mercenary group changing into concerned once more in Ukraine. “Our armored practice is in reserve, and we stand prepared to return to assistance from our Motherland and our nation when the Russian folks name us,” he stated.
