According to the Daily Star on July 11, Vladimir Putin held a secret meeting with the warlord, who he accused of launching an armed rebellion against his rule.
Western intelligence sources claimed that the gathering took place on July 1, a claim that was later confirmed by the Kremlin.
Putin's spokesman, Dmitry Peskov, said 35 people attended the three-hour meeting, which included all commanders of the detachments and Wagner's leader, Prigozhin.
Earlier it was reported that Prigozhin may be ordered to use the armed forces to assassinate Ukrainian leader Vladimir Zelensky, and the Kremlin allegedly asked the mercenary leader to "take his head off."
"The president did hold such a meeting," Peskov said. He invited 35 people. Including Prigozhin. ”
The meeting took place in the Kremlin on June 29. It lasted almost three hours. Details of the meeting are unclear.
"But the only thing we can say is that the president evaluated Wagner's actions during the special military operation, as well as their actions on June 24."
Putin listened to the commanders' explanations and offered them further employment options, as well as other ways to deploy to combat. The commanders also gave their own account of what happened.
"They stressed that they are strong supporters of Putin. It is also said that they are ready to continue fighting for the Motherland. ”
Putin appears to have torn up an agreement that was supposed to exile Prigozhin to Belarus and re-station 8,000 Wagner fighters in Russia's neighbor. After the meeting, the FSB confiscated Priogozin's personal weapons.
One of Moscow's most respected editors, Nobel laureate Dmitry Muratov, said that "he may commit some major atrocities in the interests of Russia." He may try to organize the assassination of Zelensky, bringing the head of the Ukrainian president to the Kremlin. ”
(Source: Daily Star)
It's getting less and less reliable.