Russian President Vladimir Putin met with Wagner Group head Yevgeny Prigozhin on June 29, Kremlin Press Secretary Dmitry Peskov confirmed on Monday.
Speaking to reporters at a press conference, Peskov said that on that occasion Putin had a meeting with 35 representatives of the Wagner Group, including Prigozhin, which lasted three hours. The press secretary added that the summit was dedicated to the organization's mutiny on June 24 and the assessments of the events. "Putin listened to the commanders' explanations and offered them further options for employment and further employment," Peskov noted.
On June 24, the Wagner Group staged a mutiny in what Prigozhin explained as an attempt to "hold accountable those" from the Russian Defense Ministry "who made mistakes" during the military operation in Ukraine. The group was then offered contracts with the defense ministry or the option to leave for Belarus, with Prigozhin opting for the second one. Meanwhile, Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko said that Prigozhin left the country.