Supposedly exiled Wagner boss Prigozhin pledged his loyalty to Putin in a face-to-face meeting just days after he ignited an armed revolt, Kremlin says

• Putin met with Prigozhin and Wagner commanders days after their failed mutiny, the Kremlin said.
• The parties discussed Wagner's role in the war and its armed rebellion, but the details are murky.

What exile?

Russian President Vladimir Putin and Wagner boss Yevgeny Prigozhin met face-to-face for a lengthy talk just days after the mercenary group's failed mutiny last month.

On Monday, Kremlin spokesman Dmitri S. Peskov said Putin, Prigozhin, and other Wagner commanders met for three hours in the Kremlin on June 29, according to TASS. At the time, a deal had been brokered for Prigozhin and Wagner troops to exile to Belarus in order to avoid prosecution.

The parties met just five days after Wagner's brief but armed rebellion against Russian military leadership on June 24, which almost ended in a march on Moscow.

Peskov said that during the meeting, Putin "gave his assessment" of Wagner's "actions on the frontline during the special military operation and the June 24 events," while also listening to Wagner's explanations for the mutiny.

Then, Putin offered Wagner commanders "further options for employment and further use in combat," Peskov said, while Wagner — including Prigozhin — pledged their loyalty to Putin.

"They emphasized that they are staunch supporters and soldiers of the head of state and the supreme commander-in-chief, and also said that they are ready to continue fighting for the Fatherland," Peskov said.

Prigozhin has been quite hard to pin down since Wagner's mutiny, supposedly being exiled to Belarus but appearing in St. Petersburg as recently as last week. He may not have even been in Belarus at all, instead using a body double.

It's unclear what the future of Russia's military and Wagner's role in Ukraine look like. The Kremlin's announcement of this meeting comes as analysts and critics suggested Putin's grip on power may be weakening.

The Russian president has ruled with an iron fist for 20 years, but his blunders in Ukraine and infighting between Wagner and Russian military leadership have raised questions about the stability of his position.