By The Associated Press
Mercenary chief Yevgeny Prigozhin pledged loyalty to the Russian authorities in a Kremlin assembly with President Vladimir Putin 5 days after the commander led a short-lived rebel, a senior authorities spokesman stated Monday, the most recent twist in a baffling episode that has raised questions concerning the energy and affect each males wield.
The three-hour assembly occurred June 29 and likewise concerned commanders from Prigozhin’s Wagner Group army contractor, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov stated. Putin gave an evaluation of Wagner’s actions on the battlefield in Ukraine — the place the mercenaries have fought alongside Russian troops — and of the revolt itself.
“The commanders themselves presented their version of what happened. They underscored that they are staunch supporters and soldiers of the head of state and the commander-in-chief, and also said that they are ready to continue to fight for their homeland,” Peskov stated.
The affirmation that Putin met face-to-face with Prigozhin, who led troops on a march to Moscow final month to demand a army management change, was extraordinary. Though the Russian chief branded Prigozhin a traitor because the revolt unfolded and vowed harsh punishment, the prison case towards the mercenary chief on rebel prices was later dropped.
His final destiny stays unclear, notably since Monday’s announcement reveals a lot is negotiated behind closed doorways. He might nonetheless face prosecution for monetary wrongdoing or different prices.
Monday’s announcement got here as Russia’s Defense Ministry revealed a video that includes army chief Gen. Valery Gerasimov — who was one of many targets of Prigozhin’s rebel. It was the primary time Gerasimov has been seen because the revolt.
The twin updates seemed to be one other try by the Kremlin to point out it’s in management after a turbulent interval, and to replicate Putin’s delicate steadiness between condemning the most important risk to his 23-year rule and the person behind it whereas not alienating a well-liked determine whose troops scored the most important battlefield victory for Russia up to now yr of the struggle.
Former Putin speechwriter Abbas Gallyamov instructed The Associated Press that Putin acknowledges Prigozhin’s patriotism and desires his forces on the entrance line, whereas Prigozhin wants Putin to make sure his freedom from prosecution. The two are negotiating as allies, with Prigozhin escaping punishment, Gallyamov stated.
Prigozhin “emerged victorious from this rebellion,” Gallyamov stated in a Zoom interview from Tel Aviv. “He has shown himself to be the master of the situation.”
Adding to the weird nature of the assembly was that till very lately, Putin had denied any hyperlink between the state and Prigozhin’s forces. Mercenaries are unlawful in Russia, however Wagner troops have fought for Russian pursuits across the globe and performed an important function within the seize of Bakhmut within the struggle’s longest and bloodiest battle. Putin has confirmed that Prigozhin’s firms operated beneath authorities contracts.
Throughout the struggle, Prigozhin has criticized choices made by Russia’s high army brass, resulting in tensions with the Kremlin that culminated within the June 24 mutiny.
The rebel severely weakened Putin’s authority, regardless that Prigozhin claimed the rebellion was not aimed on the president however at eradicating Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu and Gerasimov. Prigozhin known as off his mutiny after a deal was brokered for him to go to Belarus.
Tatiana Stanovaya, a senior fellow on the Carnegie Russia Eurasia Center, predicted that some Russian observers can be surprised by the flip of occasions.
“When you look from the point of view of Russian elite, it’s ridiculous,” she instructed the AP. “It’s just so unbelievable and just so shocking.”
Days after the revolt, Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko stated Prigozhin was in Belarus. But final week the president stated the mercenary chief was in Russia whereas his troops remained of their camps.
Peskov stated that throughout the June 29 assembly, Putin supplied an “assessment” of Wagner’s actions on the battlefield in Ukraine and “of the events of June 24.” The president additionally “listened to the explanations of the commanders and offered them options for further employment and further use in combat,” the Kremlin spokesman stated.
A complete of 35 folks took half within the assembly, Peskov stated. Putin has given choices to Prigozhin’s fighters: combat as a part of the common Russian military, retire from service or be a part of Prigozhin in Belarus.
A NATO summit later this week in Lithuania is tips on how to crank up the stress on Moscow after 16 months of struggle.
In different developments, a Russian airstrike on a college in southern Ukraine killed 4 adults as folks gathered to obtain humanitarian support, the governor of Ukraine’s Zaporizhzhia area stated Monday, branding the assault “a war crime.”
Three girls and a person, all of their 40s, died within the strike Sunday within the city of Orikhiv, Gov. Yuriy Malashko stated.
A guided aerial bomb induced an explosion on the college, Malashko stated, with out offering proof. Eleven different folks have been wounded within the assault, he stated.
Overall, Russia fired on 10 settlements within the province over the course of a day, he stated.
Moscow denies it targets civilian areas. Russia has been accused quite a few instances of doing so and committing different struggle crimes because the begin of its full-scale invasion in February 2022.
In March, the International Criminal Court issued an arrest warrant for Putin for struggle crimes, accusing him of private duty for the abductions of youngsters from Ukraine.
Investigations are additionally underway in Ukraine, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania and Poland. The International Center for the Prosecution of the Crime of Aggression towards Ukraine, situated in The Hague, helps with these probes.
Ukraine has launched a counteroffensive to regain occupied land, and on Monday, the deputy protection minister, Hanna Maliar, reported progress.
She stated the nation’s fighters had reclaimed 10.2 sq. kilometers (3.9 sq. miles) of territory within the south and 4 sq. kilometers (1.5 sq. miles) within the east up to now week. The positive aspects, she stated on Telegram, included the commanding heights of Bakhmut, the place Prigozhin’s forces declared management of the town in May. None of the claims may very well be independently verified.
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Follow AP’s protection of the struggle in Ukraine at https://apnews.com/hub/russia-ukraine
Source: www.bostonherald.com”