By John Ikani
President Vladimir Putin delivered a rallying address to Russia’s military and security services on Tuesday, commending them for averting a potential civil war when rebel mercenaries associated with the Wagner group marched on Moscow.
As preparations were announced to disarm Yevgeny Prigozhin’s private force, Putin and his supporters vehemently denied any weakening of his rule resulting from the recent revolt, which many consider the most significant challenge to Kremlin authority during his tenure.
When Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov was asked whether Putin’s power was undermined by the sight of rebel mercenaries taking over a military headquarters and advancing towards Moscow, even shooting down military aircraft along the way, he firmly responded, “We don’t agree.”
Meanwhile, Putin sought to portray the recent events as a triumph for the Russian regular military, emphasizing their restraint in refraining from engaging in combat with the Wagner force.
During a televised address in a Kremlin courtyard, Putin addressed troops from the defence ministry, National Guard, FSB security service, and the interior ministry.
He credited them with effectively halting a potential civil war and paid tribute to the airmen who lost their lives, acknowledging their unwavering commitment to fulfilling their orders and military duty.
Although Yevgeny Prigozhin, a former Kremlin ally known for establishing Russia’s most powerful private army, claimed that his men were welcomed and celebrated by civilians during the short-lived revolt, Putin maintained that the ordinary fighters within Wagner realized that both the army and the people were not on their side.
In an effort to move past the crisis, Russian officials have taken various actions such as Prigozhin’s planned exile in Belarus, the dropping of charges against rank-and-file Wagner troops by the FSB, and the military’s preparations to disarm the group.
The defence ministry confirmed that heavy military equipment from the Wagner private military company would be transferred to Russian armed forces units.
However, even with the immediate security threat posed by Prigozhin’s conflict with the defence ministry seemingly resolved, the Kremlin is facing scrutiny over its handling of the situation and allowing the violence associated with its operations in Ukraine to spill over into Russia itself.
Belarusian leader Alexander Lukashenko, typically viewed as a subordinate partner to Putin, is now positioning himself as a mediator in the Wagner crisis.
He has criticized Russia’s handling of the issue and expressed concerns about the escalating feud between Wagner and the Russian army.
Lukashenko acknowledged that the situation was mismanaged and stated that Belarus’s army was prepared for any disaster in its neighbouring ally, emphasizing the catastrophic consequences that would follow a collapse of Russia.
While some in the West have raised concerns about the potential chaos and risks to Russia’s nuclear arsenal resulting from the Wagner revolt, Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban, who is known for his sympathetic stance towards Putin, downplayed the significance of the event.
Orban stated that the revolt held no major significance and dismissed speculations about Putin’s potential failure or replacement, asserting that those who held such beliefs did not understand the Russian people or power structures.
During his address, Putin highlighted that the revolt did not lead to the withdrawal of any Russian units from Ukraine, where the conflict between Kyiv’s brigades and separatist forces persisted.
He commended the ongoing heroic efforts of all military formations on the front lines.
The brutal conflict in Ukraine has now endured for 16 months, resulting in numerous casualties on both sides and an increasing toll on civilians.
The United Nations Human Rights Monitoring Mission in Ukraine reported evidence of Russian troops summarily executing at least 77 detained civilians, condemning these acts as war crimes and gross violations of international human rights law.
In an effort to promote peace, Pope Francis’s envoy to Ukraine is scheduled to visit Moscow after recently visiting Kyiv.
This visit marks the first time a senior Vatican official has travelled to Moscow since Russia launched its full-scale assault in February 2022.
