"There were appropriate diplomat discussions that occurred over the weekend," said White House spokesman John Kirby without specifying at what level talks occurred. The US emphasised to Moscow that Washington was not involved in stoking up tensions between Wagner and the Kremlin, officials are saying. In Washington, US officials have confirmed that Russian and American diplomats spoke directly on Saturday. But he didn’t sound like a man who felt defeated. It was only audio so it's not clear where Prigozhin is right now or what he will do next. He didn’t even utter his name.Įarlier, the chief mutineer had made his own "address to the nation", laden with more withering comments about Russia’s defence ministry.
He said nothing concrete, though, of his plans for the group’s founder – and his own former chef – Yevgeny Prigozhin. That’s probably why Putin offered Wagner members a way out, suggesting they’d been duped and used. The president’s talk of a country united behind him contrasts sharply with Saturday’s images from the southern city of Rostov, where the Wagner group had taken control and locals applauded fighters in the streets, hugging them and posing for selfies. However, that’s not what many Russians saw play out over the weekend and it’s hard to imagine they’ll be convinced by this performance. He argued that his own management of the crisis had averted disaster. His message was that those who organised the insurrection had betrayed their country and people – and were doing the work of all Russia’s enemies by trying to drag it into bloodshed and division. His tone in the short, recorded address was furious his lip curling. This was Vladimir Putin’s attempt to reassert his authority, to squash the now common view that his response to the Wagner mutiny was weak. In Ukraine, footage was posted of President Volodymr Zelensky visiting troops and posing for selfies in the contested eastern Donetsk region US officials said that their priority is supporting Ukraine, and not interfering in domestic Russian affairs.Prigozhin released an audio recording today claiming that the march on Moscow was not an attempt to topple the government, but to prevent his group from being destroyed.Wagner chief Yevgeny Prigozhin, who is being investigated for treason, has not been seen in public since promising to leave for Belarus and his whereabouts are currently unknown Putin is chairing a meeting with the heads of Russian security services, including Defence Minister Sergei Shoigu who Prigozhin demanded to be sacked.He praised the Russian people for their "unity" and told Wagner fighters that they could either move to Belarus or sign a contact the defense ministry to remain in Russia Russian President Vladimir Putin released a pre-recorded speech in which he accused the West of wanting Russians to "kill each other".We're bringing today's live coverage to a close. EPA Copyright: EPA Putin is holding a meeting with the heads of Russian law enforcement agencies at the Kremlin this evening Image caption: Putin is holding a meeting with the heads of Russian law enforcement agencies at the Kremlin this evening
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