Russian President Vladimir Putin spoke Monday evening, two days after an abortive armed rebellion by the boss of the paramilitary group Wagner.
“Any blackmail (…) is doomed to failure”, he launched, also offering to the fighters of the paramilitary group to join the army or to leave for Belarus.
He also thanked the Russians for their “patriotism” during the weekend’s events.
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Vladimir Putin also claimed that he gave the order “to avoid bloodshed” that he believed Ukraine and the West wanted during the abortive rebellion of the Wagner group.
“From the beginning of the events, measures were taken on my direct instructions in order to avoid a great bloodshed”, declared Mr. Putin during a televised address, judging that the West, Ukraine wanted ” such a fratricidal outcome”.