Vladimir Putin met with Yevgeny Prigozhin and the Wagner command in the Kremlin to discuss a mutiny the group was trying to stage against the army leadership, a spokesman for the Russian president said on Monday, Reuters reported.

Dmitry Peskov’s statements were made after the newspaper Liberation wrote, citing sources in Western intelligence services, that Putin met with Prigozhin and his command. Liberation Peskov did not report anything about other information. that Prigozhin has been in the Kremlin since at least July 1.

According to Peskov, Putin’s meeting with the head of Wagner and the command of the group took place on June 29, five days after the failed rebellion. Peskov told the media that Putin invited 35 people to the meeting, including Prigozhin and the command of the Wagner PMC, and that the meeting lasted three hours.

“The only thing we can say is that the president gave an assessment of the actions of the company (Wagner) at the front during the Special Military Operation (in Ukraine) and also gave an assessment of the events of June 24 (the day of the uprising),” he told reporters. .

He added that Putin listened to the commanders’ explanations of what happened and offered them other options for deploying and conducting the battle.

“The commanders presented their version of what happened (June 24). They emphasized that they are loyal supporters and soldiers of the current Head of State and Commander-in-Chief. They also said that they are ready to continue fighting for the Motherland,” said Peskov.