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- Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov confirmed that Wagner鈥檚 contracts remain secure in Africa, where the outfit ostensibly provides security advisers for local leaders
MOSCOW: Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi gave 鈥渉is full support鈥� to Vladimir Putin during a telephone call, the Kremlin announced in a statement on Monday, two days after an aborted mutiny in Russia.
鈥淭he Iranian president has expressed his full support for the Russian leadership in connection with the June 24 events,鈥� the Kremlin said in an announcement.
After a phone call between Putin and Raisi, the Iranian president鈥檚 political deputy, Mohammed Jamshidi, quoted the Iranian president in a tweet, saying 鈥淚ran supports Russian sovereignty.鈥�
According to the Iranian official, 鈥淧resident Putin explained the events related to the failed mutiny and insisted that such incidents cannot affect Russian sovereignty.鈥�
Iran鈥檚 Foreign Ministry spokesman, Nasser Kanani, reiterated on Monday that Iran 鈥渄oes not support any side in the war in Ukraine,鈥� while the US accuses Tehran of supplying drones to Moscow and of helping to build a factory to manufacture them, which Tehran denies.
Putin also received in the morning 鈥渟upport鈥� from Qatar Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al-Thani, according to another press release from the Russian presidency.
The Kremlin said Putin addressed a forum of youth engineers in a pre-recorded video message that contained no mention of the mutiny.
The Kremlin was straining to appear unflustered and to demonstrate that Putin鈥檚 rule is stable and that the campaign in Ukraine would continue.
Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu, a main target of revolt, appeared in more pre-recorded footage on state television, apparently visiting troops in Ukraine, but it was not clear when the piece was filmed.
Officials in Moscow and in the Voronezh region south of the capital lifted 鈥渁nti-terrorist鈥� emergency security measures imposed to protect the capital from rebel assault.
On Monday, Wagner鈥檚 main headquarters in St. Petersburg said: 鈥淒espite events that have taken place, the center continues to work in normal mode in accordance to the law of the Russian Federation.鈥�
Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov confirmed that Wagner鈥檚 contracts remain secure in Africa, where the outfit ostensibly provides security advisers for local leaders, but stands accused of human rights abuses while seeking to corner sources of mineral wealth.
In Mali and the Central African Republic, Wagner operators 鈥渁re working there as instructors. This work, of course, will continue,鈥� Lavrov said in an interview with RT, adding that the revolt would not affect Russia鈥檚 ties with 鈥減artners and friends.鈥�