Wagner chief Prigozhin turns down Putin’s offer to join Russian army

• Yevgeniy Prigozhin rejected Putin’s offer to integrate Wagner into the Russian army.
• The US military believes Wagner is no longer involved in significant combat operations in Ukraine.
• Most Wagner fighters are believed to be in Russian-occupied regions of Ukraine.

Yevgeniy Prigozhin, the leader of the Wagner mercenary group, has turned down an offer from Russia’s President Vladimir Putin to integrate his fighters into the country’s army.

According to Putin, several commanders within the group had expressed support for the proposal, suggesting that a senior Wagner member would assume leadership. However, Prigozhin responded by stating that his fighters did not agree with this decision.

The discussions took place shortly after the failed mutiny by Wagner on June 23-24, which posed a challenge to President Putin’s leadership. As part of the agreement that resolved the brief rebellion, the mercenaries were given two options: either join the regular Russian army or relocate to Belarus, a staunch ally of Russia.

Wagner has been involved in some of the most violent conflicts since Russia initiated a large-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022.

According to statements made by Pentagon spokesman Pat Ryder on Thursday, the US military now concludes that the Wagner group is no longer actively involved in significant combat operations in Ukraine. Ryder also mentioned that the majority of Wagner fighters are believed to be present in regions of Ukraine that are under Russian occupation.

In an interview with Kommersant business daily, President Putin disclosed that during the meeting on June 29, 35 Wagner commanders, including Yevgeniy Prigozhin, were present at the Kremlin. Putin offered them various employment options, including the possibility of continuing their service under the leadership of a senior Wagner commander known as Sedoi (Grey Hair).

According to Putin, many Wagner fighters appeared to support this proposition, nodding in agreement. However, Prigozhin, who was seated at the front and unable to witness the reactions, expressed the fighters’ disagreement with the decision.

When questioned about preserving Wagner as a fighting unit, Putin stated that “Wagner does not exist.” He emphasized the absence of a law regarding private military organizations. Putin suggested that the challenging matter of legalizing Wagner fighters should be addressed in parliament.

The Kremlin’s strategy appears to involve creating a distinction between the Wagner leader and the regular fighters, thus driving a wedge between them. This may explain the efforts by Russian state media to discredit Prigozhin. The current whereabouts of Prigozhin, who was once a loyalist to Putin, remain unknown.

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