Putin breaks his silence for the first time since the mutiny of the Wagner group

Vladimir Putin suggested it was business as usual in Russia during his first public appearance as he posed a direct challenge to the commander-in-chief’s authority. Wagner group none Yevgeny Prigozhin.

On Saturday, Putin denounced Prigozhin’s actions as “treason”, after the Wagner Group seized control of military facilities in Rostov-on-Don and headed for Moscow. Prigozhin later agreed to clamp down on his troops in a deal that will reportedly see him go to Belarus and not face prosecution.

Speaking on Monday, Putin made no mention of the crisis that had unfolded two days earlier as he addressed participants at the International Industrial Youth Forum.

In the video address released by the Kremlin, he said that domestic industry in Russia depends on human resources, as he praised the country’s engineers, designers and innovators.

He described how building Russia’s competitive capabilities in domestic and global markets is key to strengthening the country’s “security, economic and technological sovereignty.”

Putin also paid tribute to the current generation of engineers and “talented and energetic young people” at the forum. The Russian president’s tone was a far cry from his video address on Saturday in which he said Wagner’s troops “who followed the path of treason will be punished.”

A deal brokered by Putin’s ally, Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko, will reportedly see Prigozhin go to Belarus, and neither he nor his fighters will face charges. Despite this, Russian media reported that Wagner’s boss was still under investigation.

Marie Dumoulin, director of the Wider Europe program at the European Council on Foreign Relations, said in comments emailed to Newsweek that Putin’s power had not been threatened “but his authority has been explicitly and radically challenged.”

“Putin’s willingness to make concessions in the face of violence may herald new challenges of an even more radical nature,” he said.

Dumoulin also said he believed Prigozhin’s actions called into question a central element of Putin’s narrative since he was in power, that he was bringing stability and order to the country after the chaos of the 1990s.

“As long as war remained distant for most Russians, that narrative could hold,” he said, “However, a rebellion by a paramilitary group does not align well with that narrative.”

Update 06/26/23, 10:13 am ET: This article has been updated with additional information and comments from Marie Dumoulin.