Russian President Vladimir Putin met with Wagner group leader Yevgeny Prigozhin days after a short-lived rebellion by him and his mercenary group.
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said the three-hour meeting took place at the Kremlin on June 29th and also involved commanders from the military company Prigozhin founded.
On June 24th, the head of Wagner led his group in a rebellion against the Russian leader after the former accused Russia of killing a "huge number" of his forces in strikes. Within hours the Wagner group held Rostov-on-Don and was heading toward Moscow.
Prigozhin ended the mutiny after a deal was brokered for him to be exiled to Belarus.
According to Peskov, during the June 29th meeting, Putin offered an “assessment” of Wagner’s actions on the battlefield in Ukraine and “of the events of June 24th.” The president also “listened to the explanations of the commanders and offered them options for further employment and further use in combat,” the Kremlin spokesman said.
“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 said.
A total of 35 people participated in the meeting, including Wagner commanders and the company's leadership, namely Prigozhin himself, Peskov said.