In general, as predicted, Wagner PMC will cease to exist and will be swallowed whole by the MoD in an unstoppable hostile takeover. Prigozhin has secured his freedom and safety, for a time, at least. People can now go back to their regularly scheduled program of watching NATO gear burn.
This entirely bizarre slightly less than 24-hour short-lived coup attempt has ended in truce which evidently caused Evgeny Prigozhin to announce his Wagner fighter columns would turn around and go back to their bases.
The Wall Street Journal has confirmed based on Kremlin statements that “As part of the agreement, Prigozhin will leave Russia for Belarus, and criminal charges against him will be dropped, Putin’s spokesman Dmitry Peskov said. His fighters will be allowed to sign contracts with the Russian military.”
And Russia’s RT provides some further details as follows based on Peskov’s statement:
“He added that Wagner’s fighters will not be persecuted, taking into account their efforts on the frontlines of the Ukraine conflict. Peskov explained that President Vladimir Putin’s team “have always respected their exploits.”
Those PMC contractors, who refused to take part in the mutiny – and whole units did not – will be allowed to sign contracts with the Russian Defense Ministry, Peskov stated.
In summary:
charges dropped against Prigozhin, who will leave Russia for Belarus
Wagner fighters who didn’t take part in the uprising will sign contracts with the MOD
Wagner fighters who did take part not charged
No word on potential MOD leadership changes
Sputnik is further confirming Wagner has handed HQ/bases in Rostov-on-Don back to the regular military:
The Wagner troops are departing from Rostov, eliciting applause from the onlookers. pic.twitter.com/rdXPAKmRHl
— Russian Market (@runews) June 24, 2023
Despite the slap on the wrist (if even), the Kremlin is still talking “tough”:
“The plotters’ adventurist aspirations are essentially aimed at destabilizing the situation in Russia, destroying our unity and undermining Russia’s efforts to reliably ensure international security,” the Foreign Ministry said. “The mutiny plays into the hands of Russia’s external enemies.”
“The attempted armed mutiny in our country has aroused strong disapproval in Russian society, which firmly supports President Vladimir Putin,” the Foreign Ministry said.
There’s always the potential foreign ‘hidden hand’ theory behind any major insurrection like this, especially when it comes to a US-NATO enemy…
And finally, maybe Chechen leader Ramzan Kadyrov has it right: old fashioned greed and glory (which Machiavelli warned about all the way back in the 16th century). Here’s Kadyrov on Prigozin’s actions:
“I thought that some people can be trusted. That they sincerely love their Motherland as real patriots to the marrow of their bones. But it turned out that for the sake of personal ambitions, profit and because of arrogance, people can not give a damn about affection and love for the Fatherland.”
Peskov on Lukashenko’s negotiations with Prigozhin:
✔️ There was a higher goal – to avoid bloodshed, to avoid internal confrontation, to avoid clashes with unpredictable results. It was in the name of these objectives that Lukashenko’s mediation efforts were implemented. President Putin made the decision accordingly.
✔️ The two presidents agreed that Lukashenko would mediate a settlement. We highly appreciate his initiative. Alexander Grigorievich has known Prigozhin personally for a long time; it was his personal proposal. We are grateful to the president for this effort.
✔️ The situation was resolved without losses. An agreement was reached that the Wagner PMCs would return to the camps. Some of them will sign contracts with the MoD if they wish. This applies to the units that did not take part in the mutiny.
✔️ As for the rest of the fighters – no one will prosecute them in view of their merits at the front. We have always respected their feats.
✔️ You ask me what will happen to Prigozhin personally. The criminal case against him will be dropped, and he himself will go to Belarus.
✔️ This will in no way affect the course of SMO. The SMO continues, our fighters on the front line are showing heroism, they are repelling the counterattack of the Armed Forces of Ukraine very effectively. And the operation will continue.
PMC Wagner leaving Rostov.