Russian President Vladimir Putin says that the Wagner Group rejected an offer to keep mercenaries fighting in Ukraine, while also declaring that the organization "does not exist."
Putin said during an interview published by Russian newspaper Kommersant on Thursday that he presented "several employment options" to 35 Wagner fighters and group founder Yevgeny Prigozhin at the Kremlin late last month, five days after the organization's aborted mutiny against the Russian military.
"All of them could have gathered in one place and continued their service," Putin said, according to a translation from Reuters. "And nothing would have changed. They would have been led by the same person who had been their real commander all that time."
The Wagner fighters reportedly would have continued fighting in Ukraine under the command of a mercenary leader known by the call sign "grey hair," who had been their commander for "the last 16 months."
According to Russian media, the Wagner commander with this call sign is Andrey Troshev, a retired colonel who has been referred to as the "executive director" of the organization.
Putin said that despite "many" of the Wagner fighters purportedly having "nodded" when he made his proposal, Prigozhin nixed the idea after listening and responding, "No, the boys won't agree with such a decision."
The Wagner Group fired Troshev on June 30, one day after the meeting with Putin reportedly took place. It is unclear whether the firing was related to Putin's purported offer.
Putin's said that there was no chance of the Wagner Group continuing after the attempted rebellion during his interview with Kommersant, while maintaining that the organization already did not exist in a legal sense.
"Wagner does not exist," said Putin. "There is no law on private military organizations. It just doesn't exist."
Newsweek reached out for comment to the Wagner Group via email on Thursday night.
Putin previously said that Wagner Group members had been presented with a choice between retiring, signing contracts with the Russian military, or moving to Belarus following the failed rebellion.
The Russian Ministry of Defense said on Wednesday that Wagner fighters were voluntarily handing over their weapons and equipment to the Russian military, according to the Associated Press.
Over 20,000 firearms and 2,000 units of equipment—including tanks, rocket launchers, artillery and air defense systems—have reportedly been given to the Russian military as of this week.
Prigozhin's current whereabouts are unclear. Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko said last week that the mercenary leader was not in Belarus, where he was thought to have been living in exile.
Lukashenko said that Prigozhin was instead in Saint Petersburg, where the Wagner Group is headquartered, although there has been no independent confirmation of the claim.
Speaking to reporters in Finland on Thursday, U.S. President Joe Biden joked that he would "be careful what I ate" and "keep my eye on my menu" if he were Prigozhin.
Uncommon Knowledge
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Newsweek is committed to challenging conventional wisdom and finding connections in the search for common ground.
About the writer
Aila Slisco is a Newsweek night reporter based in New York. Her focus is on reporting national politics, where she ... Read more
