"Putin's Meetings with Prigozhin and Wagner Leaders: Calming Troops or Damage Control?"

Russian President Vladimir Putin's meeting with Wagner Group founder Yevgeny Prigozhin may have been an attempt to "calm" Russian troops following the paramilitary organization's attempted rebellion last month. The meeting, which took place on June 29, has raised questions about the mutiny and the relationship between Putin and Prigozhin. Ukrainian official Anton Gerashchenko suggests that the Kremlin may be trying to demonstrate that the crisis is over and that Putin is friendly and forgiving. The meeting could also signal a shift in the relationship between Putin and Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko, who helped broker a peace deal to end the rebellion.