The Wagner paramilitary group halted its march on Moscow on Saturday, after Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko brokered a deal between Russian President Vladimir Putin and the rebels, averting an armed confrontation that threatened to plunge the country into civil war.
Criminal charges against Wagner’s owner, Yevgeny Prigozhin, will be dropped and he will relocate to Belarus, Putin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said. Wagner soldiers who took part in the mutiny will be granted amnesty, while those who stayed in their barracks will be offered a contract with the defense ministry, he added.