(NewsNation) — In his first remarks regarding the conflict between the Kremlin and mercenary army the Wagner Group, President Joe Biden made it clear the situation was an internal one for Russia, with no involvement from the West.

“We gave Putin no excuse to blame this on the West or blame this on NATO, we made clear that we were not involved,” Biden said.

The revolt began on Friday as some members of the Wagner Group, led by Yevgeny Prigozhin, left Ukraine and began to march toward Moscow. Russian President Vladimir Putin has relied heavily on the mercenary group during the war in Ukraine, which has dragged on for more than a year despite early predictions of a quick, decisive victory for Russia.

The Russian military mobilized to defend the capitol and Putin reportedly fled Moscow. However, a truce was announced on Saturday, with the Wagner Group standing down and Prigozhin retreating to Belarus.

The conflict has exposed internal weaknesses in Russia and was the first real challenge to Putin’s leadership in decades and has raised questions about his ability to hold onto power. It’s not clear how Putin will respond to the revolt, but some fear it will lead him to take more aggressive actions in a show of power.

Biden said he is keeping abreast of all developments in Russia and working with international allies to prevent a united front.

“The ultimate outcome of all this remains to be seen,” Biden said. “But no matter what comes next, I will keep making sure that our allies and our partners are closely aligned.”