President Vladimir Putin told a regional security grouping that Russians were united behind his leadership in his first international appearance since the failed mutiny that posed the greatest threat to his almost quarter-century rule.
Putin also thanked leaders of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization “who have expressed support for the actions of the Russian leadership to protect the constitutional order,” at an online summit Tuesday hosted by Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi that also included Chinese President Xi Jinping. “We highly appreciate it,” Putin said.
Wagner leader Yevgeny Prigozhin’s forces came to within 200 kilometers (124 miles) of Moscow virtually unopposed before he called off the uprising under a deal brokered by Belarus President Alexander Lukashenko. The episode has raised questions over whether hardline elements within the military may have known about Prigozhin’s plans in advance as he sought the ouster of Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu, a long-time Putin ally, over failures in Russia’s war in Ukraine.
