Russian President Vladimir Putin has claimed that he had offered Wagner’s men to serve under someone else’s official command, but that their leader, Yevgeny Prigozhin, refused the offer after his aborted mutiny.
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In an interview with the Russian newspaper “Kommersant” published Thursday evening, the Russian president gave details of his meeting, on June 29 in the Kremlin, with Mr. Prigojine and the commanders of the Wagner group.
Wagner’s soldiers “could have been united in one place and continued to serve. For them, nothing would have changed, they would have been led by the person who was their real commander during this whole period,” Putin said.
Kommersant specifies that the person mentioned by the Russian president is a commander of Wagner with the pseudonym “Sedoï” (Gray hair) and who, according to Mr. Putin, really led the paramilitaries on the Ukrainian front during the last 16 months.
“A lot of (Wagner commanders) nodded when I said that. But (Evgeni) Prigozhin, who was sitting in front, did not see him and said after listening, ‘No, the guys don’t agree with this solution’,” Putin assured.
Mr. Putin claimed to have discussed during this meeting, on June 29, “possible solutions” so that the Wagner group continues to fight for Russia and to have given his “appreciation” of the events of June 24.
In his interview with “Kommersant”, he also spoke about the lack of official legal status of the Wagner Group in Russia, where private military companies are not allowed by law.
“The group (Wagner) is there, but it does not exist legally! (…) This is another question related to (their) effective legalization. A question that must be raised in the Duma (lower house of Parliament), within the government, ”said Mr. Putin.
Wagner’s rebellion shook Russian power, in the midst of the conflict in Ukraine.
For several hours, the fighters of this group occupied a Russian army headquarters in Rostov-on-Don (southwest) and traveled several hundred kilometers towards Moscow.
The mutiny ended on the evening of June 24 with an agreement providing for Mr. Prigozhin’s departure for Belarus, while his fighters could join him there, join the regular Russian army or return to civilian life.