On Wednesday, Russian President Vladimir Putin expressed his confidence in the support of Russian citizens during the uprising by the mercenary group Wagner.
During a meeting with Sergei Melikov, the head of the Caucasus region, Putin stated, as broadcasted on Russian television, that he had no doubts about the reaction in Dagestan and across the entire country.
Melikov had previously commented that there was unanimous support in Dagestan for the decisions made by the leaders of the Russian Federation regarding the suppressed rebellion.
Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko claimed that he had urged Putin not to eliminate the mercenary chief, Yevgeny Prigozhin, amidst the armed mutiny of the Wagner group, which brought Russia to the brink of civil war.
Initially, Putin had vowed to crush the mutiny, likening it to the wartime turmoil that led to the 1917 revolution and subsequent civil war. However, hours later, a deal was struck that allowed Prigozhin and some of his fighters to travel to Belarus.
On Tuesday, Prigozhin flew from Russia to Belarus. Lukashenko, discussing his conversation with Putin on Saturday, used a Russian criminal slang phrase that translates to “wipe out” when referring to killing someone.
During a meeting with his army officials and journalists, Lukashenko, as reported by Belarusian state media, stated, “I understood that a harsh decision had been made (which was the undertone of Putin’s address) to wipe out the mutineers.”
Lukashenko went on to share that he suggested to Putin not to act hastily and proposed talking to Prigozhin and his commanders. However, Putin allegedly responded, “Listen, Sasha, it’s useless. He doesn’t even pick up the phone, he doesn’t want to talk to anyone.”
The same Russian verb used by Putin in 1999 to declare his intention to “wipe them out in the shithouse” in reference to Chechen militants. This remark became a widely quoted example of Putin’s strong persona.
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