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Prigozhin ‘Exiled’ To Belarus In Exchange For Peace, Criminal Charges Dropped: What Was This All About?
Update(1735ET): This entirely bizarre slightly less than 24-hour short-lived coup attempt has just gotten even stranger, given the terms of the 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.
Can this even be called “exile”?… given that Kremlin statements at this point aren’t even so much as using the word which has a clear punitive implication. The irony remains that one can get a much harsher punishment for mere Cannabis vape pens in the country. 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
What’s clear is that it does indeed look to be over, with no further immediate danger of civil conflict:
Sputnik is further confirming Wagner has handed HQ/bases in Rostov-on-Don back to the regular military:
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.
Regardless the speculation has begun, and is likely to continue for the coming days and weeks, over what precisely the world just witnessed here…
One theory seems as good as any other at this point, again given the ultra-bizarre spectacle of the whole “march for justice” on Moscow… by convoys of heavily armed mercenaries.
And then there was the heavy defense ministry pressure to essentially disband Wagner amid the long-running simmering tensions and war of words:
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.”
Perhaps the truth will eventually emerge of the events over the last 24 hours, but what’s clear is that Moscow wants to make this whole episode go away as rapidly as the crisis began, and is not even moving to arrest Prigozhin to make that happen. He will now just quietly “go away”… maybe a little vacation of sorts, into neighboring Belarus.
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