The day his troops advanced on Moscow, Prigozhin tried to talk to Putin, but he refused. This was reported by the American think tank ISW, partly on the basis of what was reported by the Russian opposition newspaper Meduza, which in turn relies on anonymous sources inside the Kremlin.
According to Meduza, the Kremlin only started negotiations when Prigozhin realized that there was too little support for his action. The negotiations that followed involved Belarusian President Alexandr Lukashenko, Russian Presidential Office Chief of Staff Anton Vaino, and Russian Ambassador to Belarus Boris Gryzlov.
Greetings from Wagner
While Russian milbloggers wonder whether Prigozhin will in any way be held responsible for the deaths of Russian soldiers, his whereabouts are still unknown. According to the Russian daily RTVI, Prigozhin’s press service told RTVI that Prigozhin “brings my regards” and will answer all questions “when he is in normal communication”.
ISW also reports that a major Wagner-affiliated Telegram channel shared an AI-generated image of Prigozhin putting a finger to his lips and saying “plans love silence.” This is a copy of the phrase commonly used in Ukraine about operational safety.
Meduza’s version of events
According to Meduza’s Kremlin sources, it was unclear to the military leadership, Kremlin employees and government officials exactly what to negotiate with Prigozhin. Prigozhin’s requests were vague and strange. He wanted Shoigu gone, autonomy over Wagner’s business and more funding,” the source said on the Meduza website.
The Kremlin initially hoped to resolve the situation “relatively peacefully”, but failed to reach an agreement with Prigozhin. The Kremlin then ordered Russian governors and politicians to publicly condemn Prigozhin’s actions, labeling him a “traitor”. At around 10am Moscow time, Putin gave a nationally televised speech in which he effectively called Prigozhin a “traitor,” essentially slamming the door on a peaceful solution.
Exaggerated hand
According to Meduza sources close to the Kremlin, Prigozhin himself attempted to contact the Kremlin in the middle of the day on June 24th. He reportedly “he even tried to call Putin, but the president wouldn’t talk to him.” Sources think that Pirgozhin then thought that he probably played too much with his hand. At that time, his fighters were already approaching the Oka River, where the Russian army and the National Guard had established their first line of defense.
The Kremlin then decided to avoid a bloody confrontation with Wagner and opened negotiations. The latest round of negotiations reportedly involved the following people: Kremlin Chief of Staff Anton Vaino, Russian Security Council Secretary Nikolai Patrushev and Russian Ambassador to Belarus Boris Gryzlov. President Alexandr Lukashenko assumed the lead role. Prigozhin needed a trusted third party to back down and save face for him. This is where Lukashenko came into play. He likes publicity, that’s why he agreed,” Meduza’s source said.
Editor’s note: Meduza is a Russian opposition newspaper, therefore the impartiality of its articles cannot be guaranteed, nor can it be independently verified.
Source: BNR
Sharon Rock is an author and journalist who writes for 24 News Globe. She has a passion for learning about different cultures and understanding the complexities of the world. With a talent for explaining complex global issues in an accessible and engaging way, Sharon has become a respected voice in the field of world news journalism.
