Russian President Vladimir Putin thanked the commanders and soldiers of the private military company Wagner Group in an address to the nation on Monday.
He thanked the Russians for their “perseverance, unity and patriotism,” adding that most of Wagner’s troops were “patriots.”
However, he warned that any attempt at blackmail or unrest in Russia was “doomed to fail.”
“From the beginning of events, measures were taken on my orders to prevent major bloodshed,” the Russian leader said.
“This is exactly what Russia’s enemies wanted: both the neo-Nazis in Kiev and their Western patrons and all sorts of national traitors,” Putin said.
The Russian leader has often wrongly described the Ukrainian government as being overrun by Nazis, even though Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy is Jewish.
“They wanted Russian soldiers to kill each other,” Putin added in his speech.
Putin: Wagner troops can be transferred to Belarus
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Wagner troops can return to their families or go to Belarus
Putin gave the Wagner troops involved in the push on Moscow late last week the option of joining the military, relocating to Belarus, or simply returning to their families.
“I thank the soldiers and commanders of the Wagner group who did not go to war, they stayed at the front,” Putin said.
“You can sign a contract with the Ministry of Defense of the Russian Federation, return to your families or go to Belarus. I will keep my word,” he said.
DW Russia expert Konstantin Eggert said this could be a sign that Putin wanted to “gently dissolve” the Wagner group. “Goingbg to Belarus, that [Belarusian President] “Alexander Lukashenko has basically turned into a semi-colony of Russia, it’s not the safest choice.”
Lukashenko was also expected to make a statement later on Monday, a source close to him said, in which he would “answer everything very soon”.
Putin’s address to the nation was brief as he went to a meeting with defense and security officials after the speech.
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told Russian news agencies that Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu, Federal Security Service (FSB) director Alexander Bortnikov and National Guard chief Viktor Zolotov attended the meeting.
Putin chaired a meeting of security and defense officials Monday after the aborted mutiny. Image: Valery Sharifulin/TASS/dpa/picture Alliance
The US turned to Russia during the uprising
Putin’s speech came after Wagner Group leader Yevgeny Prigozhin released an audio message earlier Monday explaining why his troops were launching a mutiny against the Russian leadership.
Although the US declined to comment on Prigozhin’s motives for the brief uprising, National Security Council spokesman John Kirby said it was in contact with Russian officials.
Biden says West was not involved in Wagner revolt
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“We take the instability in Russia seriously and we certainly had a lot of questions over the weekend,” he said.
“We have had and have been able to have real-time conversations — through diplomatic channels — with Russian officials about our concerns,” Kirby said.
UAE declares support for “actions of the Russian leadership”
Irrespective of this and in this context, the United Arab Emirates are interested in an assessment of the situation in Russia, the Kremlin said.
“After receiving comprehensive information, the Emirati leader declared his full support for the actions of the Russian leadership,” the Kremlin said.
rm, rs/rc (AFP, AP)