TOKYO (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 25th June, 2023) Japanese National Security Secretariat chief Takeo Akiba and White House National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan held a phone conversation on Sunday, discussing the situation in Russia involving the Wagner Group private military company (PMC) and its head Yevgeny Prigozhin, the Japanese government said.
The sides reaffirmed their commitment to close cooperation during the phone call. Also on Sunday, Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida received a report on the situation in Russia from senior foreign ministry officials.
On Friday, the Russian Federal Security Service (FSB) opened a criminal case for inciting armed mutiny over statements made on behalf of Prigozhin. The FSB said that there was a threat of escalation on Russian territory. The Russian Defense Ministry said that social media reports of alleged Russian military strikes on PMC Wagner camps were not true.
Russian President Vladimir Putin delivered a televised address to the nation on Saturday in which he described the actions of the Wagner Group PMC as an armed mutiny and treason, and promised harsh measures against the insurgents.
Later in the day, the Belarusian presidential office said that Prigozhin accepted the proposal of Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko to stop the movement of Wagner troops in Russia and take further steps to de-escalate the situation. Prigozhin later confirmed the information, saying that Wagner troops were returning back to their field camps.
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters on Saturday evening that the criminal case against Prigozhin would be terminated and he would leave for Belarus under guarantees given by Putin. The spokesman added that members of the Wagner PMC who were involved in the Saturday events would not be prosecuted given their distinguished service during Russia's special military operation in Ukraine.
