Russian President Vladimir Putin (center) addresses troops from the defense ministry, National Guard, Federal Security Service and interior ministry at Kremlin Cathedral Square in Moscow, Russia, on June 27, 2023. It is Putin's first speech after the short-lived Wagner mutiny was called off. Photo: VCG

Russian President Vladimir Putin met with mercenary leader Yevgeny Prigozhin five days after the aborted Wagner Group mutiny last month where Putin offered an "assessment" of Wagner's actions on the battlefield in Ukraine and "of the events of June 24," Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov was quoted as saying on Monday, without releasing details of the assessments. 

The issue seemingly is approaching a phased solution given the quick meeting between Putin and Prigozhin, the organizer of the short-lived mutiny on June 24 that Putin described as a betrayal of the country, according to analysts reached by the Global Times. But Putin may adjust Russia's military system and regain internal balance and stability, they believe.

Putin listened to the commanders' explanations and suggested options for their future employment and use in combat, Peskov said. According to the spokesperson, Prigozhin told Putin that Wagner unconditionally supported him, the BBC reported.

An analysis by CNN on Monday described the meeting as "surreal" as it is hard to believe that, "five days after the greatest and most violent threat to Putin's rule yet, he would invite into the Kremlin the chief mutineer and possibly as many as 30 of his commanders to discuss how they could work."

The mutiny was not aimed at overthrowing Putin's authority, neither was it provoked by external forces, said Zhao Huirong, an Eastern European studies expert from the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences. Prigozhin's top priority is to gain more attention, especially from Putin, to lodge his demands rather than launching a real mutiny against the Russian leadership, Zhao told the Global Times.  

Putin also avoided a tough road to deal with the issue. Instead, he tried to listen to their demands, according to information Peskov revealed, Zhao pointed out. 

Cui Hongjian, director of the Department of European Studies at the China Institute of International Studies, also believes that both Putin and Prigozhin were willing to cool the issue after the munity took place. 

There is no fundamental contradiction between the two sides. The problem was rooted in lack of communication, and Putin probably has sorted out some misunderstandings and seek rebuilding integration of Russia's political system during the meeting , Cui said. He noted that Putin's top priority at this stage is to maintain internal unity.   

Released one day before NATO's 2023 summit scheduled on July 11 and 12, the confirmation of the face-to-face meeting between Putin and Prigozhin can be viewed as a move by Russia to demonstrate its internal unity to the West in order to prevent the latter from making further use of the issue to hype the so-called cracks in Putin's authority during the summit, according to Cui.   

Some Western media has been hyping the whereabouts of Prigozhin. The BBC said in a report on Tuesday that they tracked Prigozhin's private jet to Belarus in late June, and returning to Russia the same evening, noting that the Wagner chief's current whereabouts are unclear.

But Chinese military expert Song Zhongping believes he may continue to serve as Wagner leader in the future. 

The Wagner mutiny sends an alarm to Putin which is that private mercenary groups must be reined in under control of the law. Mercenary leaders should not be allowed  to establish absolute personal authority as this will damage national security, Song told the Global Times on Tuesday. 

Song expects Russia to enact laws to regulate private armed forces in the future. 

The Wagner mutiny did reveal some problems in Russia's domestic systems. Putin is still likely to face severe challenges as he tries to solve these problems to regain Russia's internal balance and stability, Cui noted.    

It will require great political skills by Putin to solve these problems while stabilizing the morale of the army to ensure Russia's status in the battlefield in Ukraine will not be affected, according to Cui.