Putin claims that any attempt to destabilize Russia is doomed.

After an armed insurrection rocked his more than two decades of leadership, Russian President Vladimir Putin declared on Monday that any attempt to extort or cause trouble in his country will fail.

In a televised address, Putin stated that “civillian solidarity showed that any blackmail, any attempts to organize internal turmoil, is doomed to fail.”

He forewarned that following their armed uprising, the Wagner mercenary group’s fighters might enlist in the military or depart for Belarus.

“Today, you have the option of returning to your family and close friends or of continuing to serve Russia by signing a contract with the ministry of defense or other law enforcement organizations… Anyone can travel to Belarus, according to Putin.

In a meeting with Defence Minister Sergei Shoigu, a key figure in the mutiny, Putin also expressed gratitude for their efforts during the armed uprising.

“I gathered you to thank you for the work that was done,” Putin said to the authorities during a Wagner mercenary uprising that was intended to topple Moscow’s ruling elite.

Shoigu made his first public appearance since the uprising, while Valery Gerasimov, the chief general of Moscow, whom Wagner warriors also sought to remove, was not visible in the Kremlin’s footage of the meeting.