Putin: Wagner Was Entirely Supported By The State

Comments from Russian President Vladimir Putin hitting wires, speaking at a meeting with security force, appearing to suggest that Wagner boss Yevgeny Prigozhin's march on Moscow was financially motivated.

• Putin's comments, per Reuters: "Wagner was entirely supported by the state... [The] state supported Wagner with 86 bln roubles May 2022 - May 2023."
• Putin: "Prigozhin earned billions of roubles... authorities will investigate how money paid to wagner and its boss was spent."
• Putin: "Russia's enemies would have taken advantage of situation if mutiny had succeeded... many of achievements of recent years would have been lost."
• Putin's comments appear to be an effort to discredit the notion that the Wagner rebellion was based upon objections to the principles of the war in Ukraine and reassert control of the public narrative.
• Earlier today, Putin appeared with Defence Minister Sergei Shoigu, a show a support for Russia's military establishment and primary target of Prigozhin's initiation occupation of Rostov-on-Don.