Vladimir Putin

The unannounced session took place on July 1, a week after the revolt by Yevgeny Prigozhin and his Wagner mercenary army, according to French publication Liberation, which cited secret service sources, Daily Mail reported. Since the alleged meeting, Prigozhin appears to be remaining in Russia rather than forced into exile in neighbouring Belarus as seemed his fate earlier.

Addressing the virtual SCO summit, Putin said Moscow planned to boost ties with the grouping and supported the transition to settlements in local currencies in foreign trade. He also warned that the potential for conflicts and the risk of a global economic crisis were on the rise.

Addressing an economic forum in Moscow organised by the Agency for Strategic Initiatives (ASI), the President said on Thursday: “Our friends in India and our big friend, Prime Minister Narendra Modi, launched the ‘Make in India’ initiative several years ago. It has had a truly impressive effect on the Indian economy. It would do no harm to emulate what is working well, even if it was not us but our friends who created it,” RT News reported.

"Halfway you'll just be crushed like a bug,” Lukashenko recalls telling Prigozhin during a call on Saturday, CNN reported, citing Belarusian state media. Lukashenko said Prigozhin told him: "We want justice! They want to strangle us! We will go to Moscow!".“For a long time, I was trying to convince him.

But much remains uncertain, with experts warning the rare uprising isn’t likely to disappear so quickly without consequences down the line, CNN reported. Putin must now navigate the aftermath of the most serious challenge to his authority since he came to power in 2000.

Spokesman Dmitry Peskov revealed that Prigozhin, a Saint Petersburg tycoon who made his initial fortune in catering, “will go to Belarus” He added that Wagner’s fighters will not be persecuted, taking into account their efforts on the frontlines of the Ukraine conflict. Peskov explained that President Vladimir Putin’s team “have.

According to data from the FlightRadar tracking website, the plane reached the Tver area   about 110 miles from Moscow and where Putin has a residence   before disappearing from the system, The Guardian reported. It has not been possible to confirm whether Putin was on the plane and his spokesperson, Dmitry Peskov, has told the Tass news agency the President is "working in the Kremlin".

And it is staggering to behold the veneer of total control he has maintained all that time   the ultimate selling point of his autocracy   crumble overnight, CNN reported. The opening salvos of Wagner chief Yevgeny Prigozhin's disobedience were at times assessed as a feint   a bid by Putin to keep his generals on edge with a loyal henchman as their outspoken critic.

Addressing the nation, Putin said: "Some Russians have been tricked into a criminal adventure", without mentioning Wagner mercenary group, BBC reported. Describing the action of mutineers as "stab in the back", the Russian President said that those dividing the country will be punished.

Putin made the remarks during his speech at St Petersburg International Economic Forum. He told the forum that they (tactical nuclear weapons) would only be used if Russian territory or state was threatened, the BBC reported. The US government says there is no indication that the Kremlin plans to use nuclear weapons to.