Putin seems to be on the prowl for good publicity within the aftermath of the Wagner Group’s armed rebellion.

The Russian president made two public appearances this week simply days after the Wagner mercenary group, led by former Putin-ally Yevgeny Prigozhin, staged an armed revolt towards the nation’s protection ministry.

The sudden over-saturated public presence of Putin appears to be a part of Russia’s strategic try and faux every part is completely effective because it fights a flailing conflict in Ukraine and tries to handle its personal civil strife again dwelling. 

Hundreds of Wagner troops-for-hire marched towards Moscow on Saturday earlier than Prigozhin finally turned his forces round, saying he needed to keep away from bloodshed. The Kremlin agreed to drop legal prices towards Prigozhin in change for his exile to neighboring Belarus, although the specifics of the tenuous peace-deal stay unsure.

Navy consultants informed Insider that the Wagner coup may very properly be the start of the top for Putin’s multi-decade reign.

On Thursday, the Russian president attended the Company for Strategic Initiatives discussion board, the place he toured an exhibition of award-winning ideas for brand spanking new nationwide manufacturers that may substitute Western merchandise, based on Russian state media company Tass. 

In a Telegram publish, Russian state information company TASS shared video of Putin interacting with the NexTouch interactive contact display.

With pen in hand, the president doodled a weird human face replete with squiggly-lined pores and skin, three strands of hair, and big ears.

—max seddon (@maxseddon) June 29, 2023

Then, he signed his title beneath the masterpiece. 

The Thursday look got here in the future after Russian state tv broadcast Putin assembly “tons of of individuals” in Derbent, Dagestan.

Putin’s unusually-friendly habits — shaking fingers with civilians and posing for pictures — stands in stark contract to the chaos that gripped Moscow on Saturday