President Putin pledges to fulfill promise to Wagner fighters
(Baonghean.vn) - The Russian leader expressed his gratitude to the soldiers in the army, law enforcement and intelligence officials, as well as to the heroic pilots who stood up to stop the rebels.
According to TASS news agency, Russian President Vladimir Putin has made another televised address to the nation. In it, Putin thanked the Russian people for their solidarity during the failed uprising on June 24. He stressed that timely measures were taken from the beginning to avoid bloodshed, praised the bravery of military and law enforcement officers, and pledged to fulfill his promises to members of the private military company Wagner.
TASS has summarized some of the main contents of Mr. Putin's speech as follows:
The Betrayal of the Rebel Organizers
The insurgents betrayed their country and their people, as well as those who fought alongside them. Fratricide, Putin said, is exactly what Russia’s enemies want. They want “Russia to ultimately fail” and for Russian society to “split and descend into bloody internal conflict.”
From the very beginning, the Russian President directly ordered steps to avoid bloodshed: “Time is needed, especially to help those who made mistakes come to their senses and realize that society is strongly against what they are doing, and that the reckless venture they are being lured into can lead to tragic and destructive consequences for Russia.”
"Armed rebellion will be suppressed in any case. The organizers of rebellion, however impaired their judgment, cannot fail to understand this."
Patriotism and social cohesion
The Russian head of state expressed gratitude to the military, law enforcement and intelligence officers, as well as the heroic pilots who stood up to stop the rebels.
Mr Putin also cited public figures, political parties and religious organisations that have taken a firm stand in support of the constitutional order. He said that Russian patriotism and the unity of the whole society played a crucial role in ending the rebellion: “This unity clearly shows that any blackmail and attempts to create internal chaos are doomed to failure.”
In addition, Mr. Putin thanked Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko for his contribution to resolving the rebellion.
The Choice of Wagner Warriors
Wagner fighters were exploited. "We know that the majority of Wagner fighters and commanders are patriotic Russians, devoted to their people and country. They proved it with their courage on the battlefield, liberating Donbass and Novorossiya."
Mr Putin thanked the Wagner members "for making the only right choice and refusing to unleash fratricidal bloodshed".
The Russian president stressed that Wagner members can continue to serve, sign contracts with the Russian Defense Ministry or go to Belarus. "The promise I made will be fulfilled. I repeat: the choice is yours, but I am sure that it will be the choice of Russian soldiers who have realized their tragic mistake," Putin said.
