Russian PM Mishustin urges citizens to rally behind Putin after aborted Wagner munity (WATCH)

Russia’s Prime Minister Mikhail Mishustin on Monday said Russia has faced “a challenge to its stability”, and must remain united behind President Vladimir Putin.

Following the failed revolt by heavily armed mercenary fighters on Saturday, Russian Prime Minister Mikhail Mishustin declared on Monday that the nation had suffered "a challenge to its stability" and needed to remain united behind President Vladimir Putin. In footage run by state-owned news agency Tass, Mishustin said that “under the leadership of the president” government officials worked “harmoniously” to ensure stability in the wake of the mutiny.

"The main thing in these conditions is to ensure the sovereignty and independence of our country, the security and well-being of citizens," said Mishustin, a technocrat who was appointed prime minister in 2020.

"For this, the consolidation of the whole of society is especially important; we need to act together, as one team, and maintain the unity of all forces, rallying around the president," he said.

Former head of Russia's federal tax office Mishustin also made derogatory remarks against the West. "As the president noted, virtually the entire military, economic, information machine of the West is directed against us," he said.

The Kremlin announced that the Wagner Group mercenaries would return to their camp and that their leader Yevgeny Prigozhin would relocate to Belarus as part of a deal struck late on Saturday that ended the situation and prevented possible violence. The Kremlin declared that all criminal accusations against him and his combatants will be withdrawn.

Mishustin made a plea for national unity at a televised cabinet meeting in what looked to be the first public remarks by a top Russian official since then in response to what he claimed were attempts by the West to weaken Russia.