Ukraine prepares for the NATO summit in Vilnius. Ukrainian troops advance on all axes. Putin\u2019s response to Prigozhin\u2019s mutiny.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
President Zelenskyi said there is every reason for Ukraine to receive a political invitation to join NATO at next month\u2019s summit meeting. On Tuesday, June 27, he held a meeting with his team ahead of the NATO summit in Vilnius, he said on Telegram.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cNATO. Vilnius. Ukraine. There is every reason for a political invitation for Ukraine to join the Alliance. There is a full understanding of the security guarantees for Ukraine until the moment of accession,\u201d Zelenskyi said. \u201cWe are working with the team to make the decisions of the Vilnius Summit truly meaningful,\u201d he added. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Vilnius will host the NATO summit on July 11-12. Ukraine expects to receive a clear signal to join the Alliance at the summit.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
On June 26, Ukrainian troops advanced on all axes, Ukrainian President Zelenskyi said. \u201cToday, the frontline: Donetsk and Zaporizhzhia regions. Our warriors, our frontline positions, areas of intense operations on the front lines. Today, our warriors have advanced in all directions, and this is a happy day. I wished the guys more days like this,\u201d Zelenskyi said in his nightly address.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Ukraine has reclaimed more territory as part of their summer campaign than Russia did in its whole winter offensive, UK Defence Secretary Ben Wallace said, speaking to the House of Commons on June 26. He said Ukraine had already recaptured approximately 300 square kilometers.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Ukrainian troops have not yet entered Bakhmut. They continue to advance on the Bakhmut axis and on the flanks, Ukraine\u2019s Deputy Defense Minister Hanna Malyar said. Ukrainian offensive operations along this front are in their fourth day. Ukrainian troops are making \u201cgradual, but steady\u201d progress on the flanks every day, she added. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cIn Bakhmut and on its outskirts, there is a vast system of engineering fortifications and strongholds. Ukrainian troops and the local government built them for defensive purposes, and they helped maintain defense positions for so long. These fortifications and strongholds were captured by the enemy. We need more efforts and patience to liberate the area,\u201d Malyar said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
When Putin addressed the nation on June 26, he continued to denounce the organizers of the armed rebellion as traitors. Putin did not name Prigozhin specifically. He said Wagner fighters who seek to continue \u201cserving Russia\u201d can sign a contract with the Russian Ministry of Defense, retire and go home, or go to Belarus. Putin\u2019s spokesperson Dmitry Peskov earlier said the address would change the future of Russia. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Putin offered to forgive and integrate Wagner forces \u2013 which indicates his need for trained and effective manpower, the Institute for the Study of War (ISW) said in a report. Belarus will not offer Prigozhin or Wagner fighters a true haven, it added.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Prigozhin\u2019s efforts to convince Putin of his loyalty clearly failed as Putin characterized the armed rebellion as a blackmail attempt and denounced its organizers as traitors following Prigozhin\u2019s statement, the Institute for the Study of War said. Putin\u2019s June 26 speech likely signaled a decisive break between Prigozhin and Putin, and it is likely that the Kremlin will attempt to replace the Wagner leader to distance the PMC (private military contractor) from Prigozhin\u2019s betrayal \u2013 if the Kremlin decides to keep Wagner as a distinct entity. Putin emphasized that Russian forces and officials conducted all necessary measures to avoid bloodshed under his \u201cdirect orders,\u201d which undermines Prigozhin\u2019s claims that Wagner decided to deescalate the situation, the ISW added.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Russian authorities have closed the mutiny probe into the Wagner Group. The Russian Security Service (FSB) said the mutiny\u2019s participants \u201cstopped their actions aimed at committing a rebellion\u201d. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
The Wagner group\u2019s mutiny shattered the myth of Putin\u2019s presidency as one that embodies stability and power. Russia\u2019s political and business elites are now questioning Putin’s ability to withstand the blow. Some say that the search for Putin\u2019s successor is already underway.<\/p>\n\n\n\n