Russian President Vladimir Putin wore a grimace during his joint press conference with Algerian President Abdelmajid Tebboune (not pictured) at the Grand Kremlin Palace in Moscow, Russia, on June 15, 2023.
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In an assertive statement on Monday, Russian President Vladimir Putin vowed to bring the organizers of an armed mutiny over the weekend to justice, emphasizing that the rebellion would have been crushed by his military regardless.
This marked Putin’s first public address since hundreds of mercenaries from the Wagner Group, led by Yevgeny Prigozhin, marched towards Moscow in what appeared to be an armed rebellion against the Russian military leadership.
“This criminal activity is aimed at destabilizing the country. It posed a monumental threat,” Putin declared in a nationally televised speech.
In exchange for turning back, criminal charges against Prigozhin were dropped, allowing him to leave Russia for Belarus. As of Monday afternoon, Prigozhin was reported to be staying in a windowless hotel in Minsk, according to Sen. Mark Warner, D-Va., chairman of the Senate Intelligence Committee.
The mutiny caught the world off guard, sparking a widespread discussion within Russia about the true strength of Putin’s grip on power.
Putin stated on Monday that any “armed rebellion would have been quashed regardless.”
After taking control of Rostov, a southern city, on Saturday, the Wagner fighters and their array of armored vehicles advanced within 200 miles of Moscow before Prigozhin ordered them to retreat.
In his address, Putin expressed gratitude towards those involved in the mutiny “who made the only right decision – they refrained from engaging in fratricidal bloodshed and stopped at the brink.”
He then outlined three options for the Wagner Group soldiers: joining the Russian army, leaving for neighboring Belarus like Prigozhin, or simply returning to their families and friends.
Putin’s decision to extend clemency to the Wagner mercenaries was seen as uncharacteristic by some experts on Russia, given his autocratic nature and his tendency to imprison civilians who criticize his administration publicly.
Prigozhin himself stated that his objective was never to seize political control of the Kremlin or overthrow Putin, but rather to protest against plans to dissolve his Wagner Group, which operates as his private army.
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