A paramilitary leader who was leading a 25,000-troop march to Moscow on Saturday, allegedly to challenge the rule of Russian President Vladimir Putin, abruptly called it off.
Yevgeny Prigozhin, whose Wagner mercenary group was fighting for Putin in Russia’s war with Ukraine, said he wanted to avoid bloodshed.
The Kremlin announced it would not pursue charges against Prigozhin and said he would go to neighboring Belarus.
Prigozhin said his forces made it to within 125 miles of Moscow before turning around.
The agreement was brokered by Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko, who negotiated with Prigozhin after speaking with Putin, reported Belarus’ state-owned news agency BelTA.
Earlier Saturday, Putin called Prigozhin’s efforts treasonous. Other Russian leaders said it was an insurrection.
“If you ask what kind of guarantee there is that Prigozhin will be able to leave for Belarus, this is the word of the President of Russia,” Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said, according to CNN. “The counter-terrorist operation regime will be lifted in the nearest future.”
Columns of Wagner troops paraded out of southern Russian military posts they had reportedly taken over less than 24 hours earlier.
It is unclear what impact the uprising will have on the Wagner group’s collaboration with Russian forces in Ukraine. Russian forces were allegedly having difficulty in their ground attacks until Prigozhin’s mercenaries were sent into battle.
Prigozhin was critical of Russia’s lack of support for his group, claiming a lack of supplies and weapons.
An adviser to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said he was surprised by the Wagner group’s retreat.
“You almost nullified Putin, took control of the central authorities, reached Moscow and suddenly … you retreat,” Mykhailo Podolyak tweeted.
U.S. Secretary of Defense Lloyd J. Austin reportedly discussed the situation with allies on Saturday.
“The United States will stay in close coordination with allies and partners as the situation continues to develop,” said Pentagon spokesperson Brig. Gen. Patrick Ryder in a statement.
U.S. lawmakers were also watching Saturday’s events.
“I am closely monitoring the situation in Russia,” Rep. Mike D. Rogers (R-AL), chairman of the House Armed Services Committee, told The Washington Post. “Both Prigozhin and Putin are murderous thugs that have instigated aggression toward the West. We must continue to work with our NATO allies to deter Russian aggression.”
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