Russian President Vladimir Putin accused Ukraine and its Western supporters Wednesday of encouraging Russians to murder one other during the Wagner group’s insurrection.
Putin made the remarks in his first speech to the country after the insurgents withdrew. He claimed to have issued orders to prevent bloodshed.
Putin stated that amnesty had been granted to the Wagner warriors, whose rebellion posed the most serious challenge to his two-decade leadership. He went on to say that Wagner warriors may join the Russian army, flee to Belarus, or even return home. Putin also paid respect to the pilots who died in the attempted weekend insurrection.
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He praised his security personnel for their assistance throughout the violent insurrection. Meanwhile, despite the Wagner mutiny agreement, Yevgeny Prigozhin is still being investigated for attempting to launch an armed insurrection. In an audio clip, Prigozhin stated that the move was a protest against Russia’s military leadership, not a coup attempt.
Previously, US Vice President Joe Biden stated that Washington and NATO were not involved in the Wagner rebellion. According to the State Department, US Ambassador Lynne Tracy called Russia personally and stated unequivocally that the US was not participating.
