Crisis in Russia; Putin in New Television Address: 'Armed Coup' Neutralized

Vladimir Putin, the President of Russia, spoke on Monday evening about recent developments in the country, referring to an 'armed coup' and stated: 'We would have won against the armed coup anyway, and those who organized the coup betrayed the homeland and the nation.' The Russian president emphasized: 'The solidarity of Russian society and officials thwarted the armed rebellion.' He referred to what he called 'Nazi thinking' and said that the bloodshed among brothers was all that the Nazis in Kyiv sought to achieve in order for Russia to fail in its path. Using the keyword 'enemies of Russia,' he said: 'The enemies of Russia wanted the country to be engulfed in blood during internal conflicts, but they made a miscalculation,' and stressed that any extortion and chaos in this country aimed at creating insecurity is doomed to fail. Regarding the Wagner mercenaries and their future on the battlefield in Russia, he stated: 'The Wagner forces are patriots who liberated lands belonging to the homeland. I thank the soldiers and commanders of Wagner for preventing bloodshed, and today they have the opportunity to sign contracts with the Ministry of Defense or go to Belarus.' Putin acknowledged that Russia faces significant external threats and praised the role of Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko in resolving the Wagner rebellion, also stating that the courage and sacrifice of the pilots who were killed during the events on Saturday saved the country from terrible consequences. Previously, Russia experienced an unprecedented tense situation after Wagner mercenaries seized military facilities in the southern city of Rostov, as Prigozhin announced that his forces had begun advancing towards Moscow. In response to this attack, the Russian president labeled the actions of Prigozhin's mercenaries as 'betrayal' and 'armed rebellion,' warning of the consequences, after which the Wagner commander agreed, through the mediation of the Belarusian president, to halt the advance and order his mercenaries to return in exchange for security guarantees. On Monday, Matthew Miller, spokesperson for the U.S. State Department, emphasized that 'the United States does not take a position on the leadership of the Russian Federation and its Ministry of Defense, and U.S. policy has always been regarding the actions taken by Russia.' Mr. Miller's reference was to 'the occupation of a neighboring country' and 'other malicious interventions around the world.' Miller also expressed ignorance about the status of Yevgeny Prigozhin, the leader of the Wagner group, or the positions of Sergey Shoigu, the Russian Minister of Defense, and Valery Gerasimov, the Chief of Staff of the Russian Army. Biden: It doesn't matter what happens in Russia; the United States will continue to support Ukraine. NATO Secretary-General: The Wagner rebellion indicates the fragility of military forces in Russia; we will not intervene. U.S. State Department spokesperson: The Wagner rebellion was a 'new moment' in Russia's war against Ukraine. International Day in Support of Victims of Torture; Biden: Torture is an illegal and immoral act. Bipartisan lawmakers' letter to Biden: Efforts to stop Iran's nuclear program should be increased. Russia in crisis; Prigozhin breaks silence: We marched for justice.