US comments on meeting between Putin and Prigozhin
The US Department of State has commented on the meeting of Russian dictator Vladimir Putin with Yevgeny Prigozhin, financier of the Wagner Private Military Company, noting that they both "gave orders to commit crimes in Ukraine".
Source: Ukrinform citing Matthew Miller, spokesperson for the US Department of State,
Quote: "With respect to the reports [in the media – ed.] obviously that Yevgeny Prigozhin and Vladimir Putin were at odds with each other, now we see them meeting with them."
Details: Miller emphasised that the assessments of the US side remain the same as at the beginning of the situation with the rebellion in Russia, "There are no heroes in the struggle between the two of them. These are both people who have committed atrocities or ordered the commission of atrocities in Ukraine".
Miller also expressed his belief that this is obviously not the last development of the story with Prigozhin.
Previously: Before that, the French newspaper Libération had reported, citing sources in Western intelligence, that Prigozhin was in Moscow and had met with Russian dictator Vladimir Putin on 1 July.
The Russian dictator's spokesman Dmitry Peskov has confirmed that Vladimir Putin met Prigozhin after the mutiny.
Background:
- Self-proclaimed Belarusian president Alexander Lukashenko said on 6 July that Wagner Group founder Yevgeny Prigozhin and the Wagnerites themselves are not in Belarus at the moment.
- Following the mutiny and a conversation with the self-proclaimed president of Belarus, Alexander Lukashenko, Prigozhin said that his mercenaries were returning to their field camps. The criminal case against Prigozhin in the Russian Federation was ordered to be closed, and he was to go to Belarus.
- On 27 June, Yevgeny Prigozhin's business jet flew to Belarus from the Russian city of Rostov-on-Don, and another plane arrived there from St Petersburg.
- On the same day, Lukashenko claimed Prigozhin was in Belarus.
- On 4 July, it was reported that Prigozhin had arrived in St Petersburg, where weapons seized during searches were returned to him.
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