Putin and Wagner speak for the first time after the coup

Russian President Vladimir Putin, in his address to the nation on June 26, said that he had ordered to avoid bloodshed in the armed uprising over the weekend and suggested that Wagner fighters join the army or leave the country after their mutiny.

“From the very beginning of the events, on my orders, steps were taken to avoid large-scale bloodshed,” Mr. Putin said, thanking Russians for their “resilience, unity and patriotism.”

Mr Putin said the West and Ukraine wanted to see Russian soldiers killing each other. “Russia’s enemies want to see fratricide… They want Russian soldiers to kill each other,” he said.

The Russian leader warned that attempts to sow unrest in his country would fail. “The unity of the people shows that any blackmail, any attempt to organize internal rebellions will fail,” he told Russians.

In his five-minute speech to the nation, Mr. Putin did not mention the name of Wagner tycoon Yevgeny Prigozhin – the initiator of the mutiny that the Russian leader called “treason,” but gave the option to soldiers of the Wagner Private Military Group to participate in the failed armed uprising.

Russian President Putin addresses the nation, June 26, 2023. Photo: Sputnik

Accordingly, they can sign contracts with the Russian Defense Ministry or other security agencies, return home or move to neighboring Belarus.

“The vast majority of Wagner group fighters and commanders are also Russian patriots, devoted to their people and their country. They have proven this with their courage on the battlefield,” Mr. Putin said.

“The promise I made will be kept. I repeat: the choice is yours, but I am sure that it will be the choice of Russian soldiers who have realized their tragic mistake.”

A 36-hour mutiny in Russia over the weekend ended with a Belarus-brokered deal as Wagner militants were reportedly on their way to Moscow. The Kremlin said Wagner tycoon Prigozhin had agreed to live in exile in Belarus.

After his speech on June 26, Russian state television showed Mr. Putin meeting with his top security officials about the coup.

The meeting included Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu, the main target of the Wagner rebels. This was Shoigu's second public appearance since the Wagner rebellion. Earlier on June 26, the Russian defense minister visited servicemen participating in the operation in Ukraine.

Photo of the boss of the Wagner Private Military Group leaving the city of Rostov-on-Don, June 24, 2023. Photo: NY Post

For his part, Mr. Prigozhin – the center of the rebellion – finally spoke after two days of “silence.” In an 11-word voice message posted on his Telegram channel on June 26, Mr. Prigozhin said that the Russian government was trying to dissolve Wagner before July 1.

“We came to protest, not to overthrow the government,” said boss Wagner of his group's march on Moscow.

Mr Prigozhin also continued to harshly criticize Russian military leaders for their handling of the campaign in Ukraine and accused them of once again attacking his fighters as they prepared to lay down their arms.

“The aim of the campaign is to prevent the destruction of Wagner and to bring to justice those who, through their unprofessional actions, committed countless mistakes in the process,” he said .

Minh Duc (According to Malay Mail, RT, TASS, NY Times)

Source: https://www.nguoiduatin.vn/ong-putin-va-trum-wagner-lan-dau-len-tieng-sau-cuoc-binh-bien-a614372.html