MINSK — Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko mentioned on Thursday that the mutinous chief of Russia’s Wagner group was nonetheless in Russia with hundreds of fighters, however dismissed hypothesis that President Vladimir Putin would have Yevgeny Prigozhin killed.
Lukashenko helped dealer a deal to finish final month’s mutiny, the gravest problem to Putin in his 23 years in energy, below which Prigozhin was supposed to face down his mercenaries and transfer to Belarus in trade for Putin dropping expenses.
But in feedback that raised questions in regards to the deal, Lukashenko mentioned Prigozhin and his fighters have been nonetheless in Russia, and that it was doable they might not transfer to Belarus.
Lukashenko nonetheless mentioned the deal had been complied with, and that he stood by his provide to host Wagner—a prospect that has alarmed neighboring NATO nations—and would converse to Putin shortly.
” is not on the territory of Belarus,” Lukashenko instructed reporters in Minsk’s huge Independence Palace. “He is in Petersburg…perhaps he went to Moscow this morning.”
Russian safety companies have been presumably maintaining a detailed eye on him, Lukashenko added.
Asked about earlier feedback suggesting Putin had needed to “wipe out” Prigozhin because the mutiny unfolded, Lukashenko mentioned some within the Kremlin had needed this, however that it will have unleashed civil struggle.
“If you think Putin is so malicious and vindictive that he will ‘wipe him out’ tomorrow—to say it in Russian—no, this will not happen,” Lukashenko mentioned.
“The fighters of the Wagner group are at their camps—their permanent camps—those where they have been located since they left the front.”
Wagner’s foremost camp is in southern Russia, at Molkino close to Krasnodar.
Prigozhin had mentioned his mutiny was not geared toward toppling Putin however at settling scores with Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu and Chief of the General Staff Valery Gerasimov. He didn’t reply to a request for remark.
The 68-year-old Belarusian chief dismissed a query about whether or not Putin had been weakened by the disaster, however mentioned he didn’t wish to discuss in regards to the motivation behind the mutiny.
He mentioned the scenario had been so critical at its peak that Belarusian particular forces had been able to fly in to assist defend Moscow.
“We, Putin and Lukashenko, allowed the situation to get out of hand—we thought it would all solve itself—but it didn’t,” Lukashenko mentioned.
He mentioned he had instructed Prigozhin, utilizing the diminutive of his first title, Zhenya, that “Putin and I will defend Moscow.”
Putin maintaining his phrase, Lukashenko says
Lukashenko mentioned Putin had identified Prigozhin for 30 years, and that Wagner had been based by Russia’s GRU army intelligence service and was Russia’s greatest combating pressure.
The query of shifting Wagner models to Belarus would rely upon choices by the Kremlin and by Wagner, he mentioned, including that he had spoken to Prigozhin by cellphone on Wednesday. “Putin is keeping his word.”
Lukashenko mentioned Prigozhin and Wagner meant to proceed to work for Russia, and steered that the mercenaries might atone for his or her sins by combating on the toughest elements of the Ukraine entrance.
Wagner spearheaded the attritional nine-month battle for the Ukrainian metropolis of Bakhmut, however Prigozhin repeatedly accused the highest brass of corruption and incompetence and forged the June 24 “march of justice” on Moscow as a protest towards them.
Russian state TV on Wednesday launched a fierce assault on Prigozhin and mentioned an investigation was nonetheless being pursued.
A business jet linked to Prigozhin left St. Petersburg for Moscow on Wednesday and headed to southern Russia on Thursday, based on flight monitoring knowledge, nevertheless it was not clear if he had been on board. It was later tracked flying north once more.
If Prigozhin does return to Russia with impunity, it would increase new questions on Putin’s authority within the wake of the mutiny.
Putin instructed Asian leaders this week that the episode had proven Russian society to be extra united than ever.
The Kremlin has declined to debate Prigozhin’s whereabouts.
“No, we do not follow his movements, we have neither the ability nor the desire to do so,” Putin’s spokesman Dmitry Peskov instructed reporters on Thursday, nonetheless confirming that Prigozhin’s departure for Belarus was one situation of the deal.
Lukashenko mentioned Belarus had provided Wagner some disused Soviet-era army quarters, including: “But Wagner has a different vision for deployment, of course, I won’t tell you about this vision.”
Lukashenko additionally mentioned he didn’t see a Wagner presence as a threat, however that his military may benefit from Wagner’s experience.
If they got here, he mentioned, Wagner wouldn’t be used towards Ukraine or every other neighbor so long as Belarus was not itself attacked. — Reuters
Source: www.gmanetwork.com
