The international community awaited with anticipation the statements that Russian President Vladimir Putin was about to make, as well as his Belarusian counterpart, Alexander Lukashenko, who has not yet spoken.

A Telegram channel near Lukashenko announced the decision. Lukashenko “will answer everything very soon,” Pul Pervogo, a Telegram channel, announced.

The Belarusian president negotiated an agreement to end an armed mutiny in Russia carried out by the Wagner group led by Yevgeny Prigozhin.

The leader of the Wagner group resurfaces after the attempted uprising in Russia

Putin addressed the nation in a pre-recorded speech thanking the efforts of society as well as the military and armed forces during the Wagner uprising.

Within 24 hours, Prigozhin’s forces seized several military installations in Rostov-on-the-Dov, southwestern Russia, and drove 600 kilometers toward Moscow. In Rostov, his fighters were cheered as they left the military headquarters they had taken over, which coordinates operations in Ukraine.

Are the Wagner Group’s actions in Russia a coup?

The uprising ended after an agreement under which Prigozhin received guarantees of immunity for himself and his men in exchange for ending the uprising. According to the Kremlin, he should go into exile in Belarus.

Putin said he gave the order to avoid bloodshed. He said Ukraine and the West were looking.

“Since the beginning of the events, steps have been taken on my direct instructions to prevent much bloodshed,” Putin said in a televised address, pointing out that the West and Ukraine wanted “a fratricide.”

Putin added that Wagner’s fighters should either join the army or go to Belarus after the paramilitary group staged an armed uprising.

He also again accused Wagner’s boss, without naming him, of “betraying his country and his people” while lying to his men.

Last Monday, the Wagner leader clarified that they were not trying to take power and just wanted to save the organization and highlight the “serious security problems” in the country.

Vladimir Putin says the West and Ukraine wanted the Russians to ‘kill’ each other

For their part, Russian authorities on Monday made every effort to present an image of normality despite the heavy blow the attempted uprising inflicted on President Vladimir Putin’s image, in the midst of a counter-offensive in Ukraine.

In his first published audio message since ending his rebellion, Prigozhin did not reveal his whereabouts.

“The purpose of the march was not to allow the destruction of the Wagner group and to hold accountable those who, with their unprofessional actions, made a significant number of mistakes during the special military operation” in Ukraine, he said in the 11 minute message.

If Wagner’s troops did not advance further, it was, according to Prigozhin, “not to shed Russian blood”. He also said he “didn’t want to overthrow power” and that he had the support of the citizens he met on the march.