Angry Putin Accuses West of Sparking Turmoil for Russians ‘To Kill Each Other,’ Says Wagner Chief Will Be Brought to Justice

Russian President Vladimir Putin has accused the West of aiding a rebellion and promised that Prigozhin will be brought to justice.

Monday evening in Moscow, Russia, Putin issued a scathing statement: "The organizers of this rebellion cannot help but realize they will be held accountable. This is an illicit activity designed to undermine the nation."

Putin Contorts with Anger During Speech

Putin stated that "any form of coercion is destined to fail" and that the mutiny leaders "wanted to fragment our society." Since the rebellion, he commended the Russian people for their "support, patriotism, and solidarity" and Belarus's Lukashenko for a peaceful resolution.

Additionally, he commended the Wagner authorities, who made the correct decision to halt and retreat to prevent bloodshed. Putin added that the majority of Wagner mercenaries were "patriots" who were used by rebellion organizers.

The uprising was "destined to fail," and its organizers could not have failed to realize that even if they had lost their sense of right and wrong. Putin also asserted Ukraine's involvement in the weekend's events, dubbing the uprising "revenge for their unsuccessful counteroffensive."

Minutes after it was announced that Vladimir Putin would make a number of statements from the Kremlin on Monday evening, his close ally Alexander Lukashenko released a message of his own.

The Russian state news agency RIA later reported that he would instead be answering queries from correspondents on Tuesday. There have been rumors that Wagner forces could launch an offensive from Belarus, but analysts believe this is highly unlikely, according to Daily Express US.

Biden Denies US, NATO Involvement in Wagner Mutiny

Meanwhile, US President Joe Biden insisted in his first public remarks regarding the short-lived rebellion against Russian military leaders that neither the United States nor its NATO allies were involved. As soon as the tumultuous situation unfolded in Russia on Friday, Biden said he instructed his national security team to prepare for "a various scenarios" and convened with key allies via virtual video call.

Biden stated, "the ultimate consequence of all this is still unknown, but regardless of what happens next, I will continue to ensure that our allies and partners closely align with how we interpret and respond to the situation."

Notably, he did not define what had occurred, instead referring to it as "the situation."

Mykhailo Podolyak, an adviser to the Ukrainian president, told ABC News that he believes the brief revolt signals "the beginning of the end" of the conflict in Ukraine.

The paramilitary Wagner Group, commanded by Yevgeny Prigozhin, spearheaded the armed rebellion. On Friday, Prigozhin accused Russian forces of deliberately bombarding his troops. Prigozhin announced that his mercenaries had occupied the Southern Military District and military facilities in Rostov-on-Don, an important border city, and were marching toward Moscow. However, the march was abruptly canceled.

As part of an agreement to halt the Wagner Group's advances, the Kremlin announced on Sunday that Prigozhin would not be prosecuted and would transfer to Belarus. The agreement involves integrating Wagner party soldiers into the Russian military.

In his first comments since the revolt, Prigozhin published a video on Monday in which he claimed he had "no intention of overthrowing the government" and that he halted the march to prevent carnage.

The spokesperson for the State Department, Matthew Miller, stated that the situation in Russia was still evolving but that the weekend's events were a "significant step" despite the fact that the administration appears to have more concerns than answers.