Russian coup leader Prigozhin: “We’re retreating” as Lukashenko mediates.

Russian Mercenary Chief Yevgeny Prigozhin Halts Apparent Mutiny

Russian mercenary chief Yevgeny Prigozhin has announced a halt to an apparent mutiny, following talks brokered by Belarusian dictator Alexander Lukashenko’s regime between the warlord and Russian President Vladimir Putin.

“In this time, we did not spill a single drop of blood of our fighters,” Prigozhin announced on social media. “Now, the moment has come when blood may spill. That’s why, understanding the responsibility for spilling Russian blood on one of the sides, we are turning back our convoys and going back to field camps according to the plan.”

A Dramatic Challenge to Putin’s Authority

This statement marks an abrupt end to a frenzy that presented Putin with the most dramatic challenge to his authority since he rose to power in 1999. Just one day after declaring a “march for justice” to seek revenge on Russian defense officials and protect the Wagner Group forces, Prigozhin suggested that the uproar was an attempt to preserve his organization.

“They were going to dismantle PMC Wagner,” Prigozhin revealed. “In a day, we walked nearly 200km away from Moscow.”

This announcement could once again shroud the mysterious struggle that organizes the various power centers in Putin’s Russia.

“Much will depend on the next 24 hours and whether [Prigozhin] has gathered enough support not to be crushed quickly,” a senior European official told the Washington Examiner. “I think that everyone understands that Putin has made a catastrophic mistake with the war in Ukraine. What to do now for the best is not obvious. There are many groupings with specific interests. The question is how they will deal with each other without weakening their positions relative to the outcome.”

Click here to read more from the Washington Examiner.

Lukashenko Takes Credit for the Breakthrough

Lukashenko, a Putin client, claimed credit for the apparent breakthrough, as the Belarusian regime announced that he had spoken to Putin and Prigozhin.

“Negotiations continued throughout the day. As a result, they came to agreements on the inadmissibility of unleashing a bloody massacre on the territory of Russia,” Lukashenko’s press service announced. “Yevgeny Prigozhin accepted President Alexander Lukashenko’s proposal to stop the movement of Wagner’s armed men in Russia and to take further steps to de-escalate tensions.”

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