Russian President Vladimir Putin addressed the nation in a televised broadcast two days later on Monday evening. Rebellion of the Wagner group. Putin implicitly disbanded the group led by Yevgeny Prigozhin and gave the mercenaries three options: either join the Russian army, or go to Belarus, or go straight home. “Any attempt at rebellion or intimidation will fail,” Putin said.
By Observer Editorial Board on 27.06.2023, 00:39
After the Wagner mercenary revolt, President Vladimir Putin declared that any attempt at insurrection or intimidation in Russia would fail. At the same time, the Kremlin leader thanked Alexander Lukashenko for making peace with Prigozhin’s militia.
In his speech, Putin also said that all necessary decisions to neutralize the threat were taken from the beginning. The rebellion would have been suppressed anyway, and the organizers realized their actions were criminal, he pointed out.
Vladimir Putin’s speech after the Wagner mercenary uprising
– Dear friends, I am again speaking to Russian citizens. Thank you for solidarity, solidarity and patriotism. Any attempt at internal conflict will end in failure. All united against rebellion. The entire Russian society worked for the motherland.
– Everything was done to neutralize the threat from the beginning. Either way, the rebellion would have been put down.
– You must understand it. They understood everything. They understood that they went against the government, which meant that Russia was threatened, which meant that it could affect the front.
– They betrayed those involved in their crimes. They wanted to shoot at the Russians. “Fake patriots” in the West, Ukraine, Russia, wanted Russians to shoot each other. But they failed and made a mistake.
– Thank you to all Russian soldiers, to all those who were loyal to Russia. Their valor prevented Russia from being dismembered.
– At the same time, most of Wagner’s fighters were patriots of Russia. They were blind. From the beginning, at my behest, I did this without shedding blood to allow the wrongdoers to change their minds. To understand his mistake.
– Thanks to those Wagner soldiers and commanders who did nothing wrong. You have the opportunity to continue fighting for Russia. Return to your loved ones. Go to Belarus.
– I will keep my word. The choice is yours.
– Nation building made all the difference. That is what allowed us to remain united and steadfast.
Earlier, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said Putin’s statements “will determine the fate of Russia.” Simultaneously with the Russian leader, Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko issued a series of important statements.
The first message from Evgeny Prigogine was two days after the revolt of the Wagner group
Evgeny Prigozhin, head of the Wagner Group, made his first comments since Saturday’s riots. In the 11-minute audio message posted on Telegram, he said, “Our goal is not to topple the regime. Meanwhile, Russia is investigating the involvement of Western intelligence in the Wagner mercenary insurgency.
Prigogine spoke in an 11-minute audio message posted on Telegram. The aim of the “march” was to avoid the destruction of the military group and to protest the management of the “useless” war in Ukraine, not to overthrow the government in Moscow.
“Our goal is not to overthrow the regime,” Prigozhin said, according to the report Guardian. He said of the riots that “society demanded it” and that it showed “serious security problems across our country”.
“We stopped when it became clear that a lot of blood was going to be spilled,” he continued. Prigozhin again accused the Russian Defense Ministry of targeting his troops with artillery fire.
Russia is investigating whether Western secret services were involved in the Wagner mercenary insurgency
Russia’s intelligence services are investigating whether Western intelligence agencies were involved in last Saturday’s mutiny by Wagner mercenaries, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said on Monday, Reuters reported, TASS agency reported.
In an interview with RT television, Lavrov said US Ambassador to Moscow Lynn Tracy had spoken with several Russian officials on Sunday, sending “signals” that he was not involved in a US uprising, but believed it was nuclear. Russia’s arsenal will remain safe, TASS reported. The minister blamed the ambassador for saying that the insurgency was Russia’s domestic issue.
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