PARIS - His Royal Highness Prince Mohammed bin Salman bin Abdulaziz, Crown Prince, and Prime Minister, today called up Russian President Vladimir Putin to express the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia's relief at the successful de-escalation of the situation in Russia, and the Kingdom's wishes of further security and stability in Russia.
President Putin expressed gratitude to HRH the Crown Prince for the noble feelings for Russia and its people.
The phone call came after a tense week in Russia, where a powerful mercenary group known as the Wagner Group staged an armed rebellion against the Russian military command, threatening to march on Moscow and overthrow Putin.
The leader of the Wagner Group, Yevgeny Prigozhin, a close ally of Putin who was accused of treason by the Russian president, called off the mutiny on Friday and agreed to leave Russia for Belarus, a neighbor, and ally of Russia.
The Kremlin said Prigozhin and his fighters would face no criminal charges despite the revolt, which posed an unprecedented challenge to Putin's authority.
The crisis in Russia sparked international concern and condemnation, as well as expressions of support for Putin from some countries.
The United States, which has been locked in a diplomatic standoff with Russia over its aggression in Ukraine, said the turmoil in Russia revealed "real cracks" in Putin's rule and urged him to de-escalate the situation peacefully.
Other countries, such as China, Turkey and India, also voiced their solidarity with Russia and called for respect for its sovereignty and territorial integrity.
HRH the Crown Prince and President Putin also discussed the latest developments in the Middle East and North Africa, as well as the efforts to combat terrorism and extremism.
They agreed to continue their coordination and consultation on issues of mutual interest and to enhance bilateral ties between the two countries.
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