Intrigue in Kremlin: Putin and Wagner chief’s secret meeting revealed

Five days following a failed coup attempt, Russian President Vladimir Putin held a meeting with Yevgeny Prigozhin, the chief of the Wagner mercenary group, as disclosed by the Kremlin on Monday.

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov informed that this meeting occurred on June 29 and included 35 individuals, among them unit commanders, lasting for three hours.

Peskov added that Putin offered his assessment of the events that took place on June 24, which was the date of the Wagner Group’s unsuccessful rebellion. Additionally, Putin listened to the accounts presented by Wagner commanders, who pledged their allegiance to him and expressed their intention to continue fighting for his cause.

This revelation follows speculations about Prigozhin’s supposed exile to Belarus, which was purportedly part of a peace agreement orchestrated by Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko. However, Lukashenko stated on Thursday that it was unclear if the Wagner fighters would relocate to Belarus, as he had previously provided them with a desert military base.

Russian President Putin meets Wagner mercenary group leader after failed coup. Photo courtesy of LENA15 from Pixabay.

Lukashenko clarified that Prigozhin was in St Petersburg and not in Belarus. Responding to Lukashenko’s comments, the Kremlin stated that it was not tracking Prigozhin’s movements, with Peskov indicating they had neither the capability nor the intention to do so.

On June 24, Prigozhin announced a coup against the Kremlin due to growing discontent with the top Russian defence officials. Wagner’s mercenaries seized control of Rostov-on-Don, one of Russia‘s largest cities. However, they refrained from further advancement to avoid “shedding Russian blood” and agreed to go into exile in Belarus.

Initially, Putin accused the group of treason and attempted to eliminate Prigozhin, once an ally, but Lukashenko claimed to have intervened in the matter, negotiating a peace deal. Under this deal, the Russian criminal case against Wagner was dropped, and Prigozhin was promised security. Wagner fighters were then given the options to sign regular army contracts, return home, or move to Belarus.