Putin offers you 3 options: How to proceed with the Wagner mercenaries Putin offers you 3 options: How to proceed with the Wagner mercenaries

Kremlin chief Vladimir Putin thanked Russian security forces and the public for their support after the uprising of Wagner’s private army was crushed. “I thank all the soldiers, secret service employees, who stood in the way of the insurgents,” Putin said in a speech on state television on Monday. At his command, every effort was made to avoid bloodshed. “It took time,” Putin said. He is convinced:

If mercenaries and regular troops had fired on each other, it would have benefited Kiev and the West in particular, Putin explained. There they had already hoped that Russia would tear itself apart. But Russian society has shown unity in opposing the uprising. Eventually, the revolutionaries would have realized this and given up.

On Saturday night, chief mercenary Yevgeny Prigozhin made serious accusations against the Russian Defense Ministry, accusing Minister Sergei Shoigu of ordering an attack on a military camp by the Wagner troops fighting for Moscow. He then occupied the southern Russian city of Rostov-on-Don and sent some units of his troops towards Moscow. Their virtually unopposed advance into Moscow, which stopped only 125 miles from the Russian capital because Prigozhin had given up, sent shockwaves through the country.

In his speech, Putin tried to give the impression that the power and security organs were capable of action. He praised the courage and self-sacrifice of Russian pilots who died during their confrontation with the insurgents. It was the first time that Russian leaders acknowledged casualties during the uprising.

At the same time, the 70-year-old made an offer to the Wagner fighters. They had been misused for an individual’s personal goals and aspirations, but had already proven their patriotism in the past. He offered the fighters three options:

Any attempt to create chaos in Russia is doomed, the president stressed. “The organizers of the uprising, who betrayed the country, also betrayed those who were on their side,” Putin said.

He also thanked Belarusian ruler Alexander Lukashenko for mediating the conflict with Wagner boss Prigozhin. His ex-confidant Prigozhin is said to have found refuge in Belarus after he abandoned the march to Moscow on Saturday. It is unclear where Prigozhin is currently located.

Prior to the speech, many political observers had speculated about the resignation of Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu, who had been criticized for months for the failure of the offensive war against Ukraine and also had nothing to counter Prigozhin’s uprising. But despite the criticism, Putin – at least for now – stuck with Shoigu, also because he is considered a personal confidant of the Kremlin chief.

(t-online/con/dpa)