Ukraine trolls Russia over Putin-Prigozhin meeting

Ukraine's defense ministry has mocked Russian President Vladimir Putin after the Kremlin confirmed he had met with Yevgeny Prigozhin five days after the Wagner Group leader staged a mutiny.

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said on Monday that Putin held talks with Prigozhin and three dozen of his commanders in the Kremlin on June 29.

It has added mystery to the chain of events that started with Prigozhin denouncing Russia's military establishment on June 23. The following day Wagner forces seized military sites in Rostov-on-Don and advanced on Moscow before backing down after a reported deal.

One expert told Newsweek he believed that despite news of Prizgozhin's talks with Putin, the Wagner founder is a "dead man walking."

The Kremlin had initially said that it did not know of Prigozhin's whereabouts, until Peskov's statement that said that the mercenary boss and his commanders professed their loyalty to Putin and his war effort.

"Attention! Those who are planning a coup d'etat in Russia will need to book a post-coup meeting in the Kremlin in advance," tweeted the Ukrainian defense ministry on Tuesday.

"Please keep in mind that you will need to quarantine for two weeks. Kindly plan these events in advance," it added.

This was a dig at how during the coronavirus pandemic, visitors had to reportedly quarantine for up to two weeks before a personal audience with Putin.

Newsweek has contacted the Kremlin for comment.

Peskov said that the meeting lasted three hours and while he would not confirm if Russian Ministry of Defense officials were present, he said that Putin gave Wagner his assessment of their rebellion, listened to their explanations and even offered them "further employment options."

Citing Western intelligence, French newspaper Libération reported on July 7 that the heads of the Russian National Guard and the Russian Foreign Intelligence Service, Viktor Zolotov and Sergei Naryshkin, attended talks with Wagner on July 1, although it was not clear if this was the same meeting referred to by Peskov.

The Institute for the Study of War said on Monday that the Kremlin may have publicized the meeting to address questions about "why Prigozhin can freely move around Russia without facing legal action."

The Kremlin is reliant on the Wagner group, whose operations in Africa give it access to key resources, but questions remain over whether Prigozhin had internal support for his rebellion and why he has so far remained unpunished.

"Prigozhin initially believed that he had greater support from high-ranking Russian officials and military officers," Mark Temnycky, nonresident fellow with the Atlantic Council's Eurasia Center told Newsweek. "But when Prigozhin launched his insurrection, these officials and officers did not come to his aid."

"It is possible Putin and those loyal to him learned about the attack, and they quickly undermined Prigozhin's support. This caught Wagner off guard, and at that point, Wagner was too far involved in this operation. Prigozhin likely believed that he could not turn back.

"Now, I believe Prigozhin is a dead man walking. It will be interesting to see what becomes of Wagner and its involvement during the rest of the Russian war in Ukraine," he added.