"Putin Meets Mercenary Chief Prigozhin Amid Rebellion, Kremlin Confirms"

The Kremlin confirmed that Russian President Vladimir Putin met with Yevgeny Prigozhin, the chief of the Wagner mercenary group, on June 29, just days after the group's failed rebellion. The meeting lasted three hours and included 35 people, including unit commanders. Prigozhin assured Putin that his soldiers would continue to fight for him. The rebellion, which briefly took control of the city of Rostov, posed a significant challenge to Putin's power but was defused through a deal brokered by Belarus President Alexander Lukashenko. Prigozhin, who claimed the mutiny aimed to hold army and defense chiefs accountable for their actions in Ukraine, was supposed to leave for Belarus but has reportedly returned to Russia, raising concerns about the agreement's implementation.