Russia: Putin met with Prigozhin, Wagner commanding officers in Kremlin on June 29 — spokesman

Peskov

MOSCOW, July 10. /TASS/: Russian President Vladimir Putin had a nearly three-hour-long meeting with Yevgeny Prigozhin and PMC Wagner commanding officers in the Kremlin on June 29, Putin’s press secretary Dmitry Peskov said on Monday.

Commenting on a piece by the Liberation newspaper about Putin’s meeting with Prigozhin after what happened on June 24, the Kremlin spokesman said, "The president did hold such a meeting."

"He invited 35 people - all the squad commanders and the leadership of the [private military] company, including Prigozhin," he said. "The meeting took place in the Kremlin on June 29 and lasted for nearly three hours."

"We are unaware of the details (of the meeting - TASS), but the one thing we can say is that the president gave his assessment of the [private military] company’s actions on the frontline during the special military operation and the June 24 events," Peskov noted.

"Putin listened to explanations from [Wagner] commanders and offered them further options for employment and further use in combat," the presidential spokesman said. "The commanders themselves shared their version of what happened [on June 24], they emphasized that they are staunch supporters and soldiers of the head of state and the supreme commander-in-chief, and also said that they are ready to continue fighting for the Fatherland."

"This is all we can say about this meeting," he added.