Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic has praised Russian President Vladimir Putin’s “strong stance” in bringing an end to the brief insurrection led by Wagner chief Yevgeny Prigozhin.
While acknowledging that Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko contributed, the Serbian president said in an interview on Pink television, a private Serbian network, that Putin was the one “who got it done” and described the Russian president’s actions as “sharp and decisive.”
Vucic also criticized the Wagner group’s actions as “a stab in the back” to their own country and said a mistake had been made in Russia giving the group “enormous power.”
“They said we have corrupt people in such and such places, which is largely true. But is that a reason to stab your country in the back, at its most difficult moment? Of course not, but they did it anyway,” the Serbian president said Sunday, in reference to the Wagner group and opponents of Putin.
“They thought they could get away with it. They believed that Putin would not interfere, and [Putin] personally with his statement and his strong stance, stopped it,” Vucic said.
“Putin now has a very difficult task, and that’s to raise the motivation of the army, and the confidence of the huge number of disillusioned Wagner soldiers. And none of that will be easy,” Vucic added.
Key context: A major crisis shook the foundations of the Russian state Saturday, as forces loyal to Wagner mercenary boss Prigozhin marched toward Moscow. Then, Prigozhin abruptly called off their advance.
According to the Belarusian presidential press service, the decision followed an unexpected intervention by Lukashenko. The supposed deal struck with Prigozhin would see the Wagner boss leave for Belarus; a criminal case against the mercenary boss would be dropped; and Wagner fighters would be folded into formal military structures by signing contracts with the Russian ministry of defense.
Prigozhin — whereabouts currently unknown — has not commented on the supposed agreement.
