Wagner leader is supposed to be in Belarus. Lukashenko says he’s in Russia – National | 24CA News
The mercenary chief who led a short-lived mutiny towards the Kremlin is in Russia and his Wagner troops are of their subject camps, the president of Belarus mentioned Thursday, elevating new questions concerning the deal that ended the extraordinary problem to President Vladimir Putin’s rule.
Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko’s declare couldn’t be independently verified, and the Kremlin refused to touch upon Yevgeny Prigozhin’s whereabouts. It was not clear if touring to Russia would violate the deal, which allowed the Wagner chief to maneuver to Belarus in change for ending the rise up and a promise of amnesty for him and his troops.
Few particulars of the settlement brokered by Lukashenko have emerged. Last week, Lukashenko mentioned the mercenary chief was in Belarus. Russian media later reported he was seen at his workplaces in St. Petersburg, an indication that the deal might have allowed him to finalize his affairs in Russia.
On Thursday, Lukashenko informed worldwide reporters that the mercenary chief was in St. Petersburg and Wagner’s troops have been of their camps. He didn’t specify the situation of the camps, however Prigozhin’s mercenaries fought alongside Russian forces in japanese Ukraine earlier than their revolt and still have bases on the Russian territory.
Asked about the place Prigozhin is, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov refused to remark, however reaffirmed that the deal that ended the mutiny envisaged his transfer to Belarus.
Lukashenko mentioned his authorities provided Wagner, a non-public army contractor that has despatched troops all over the world to battle for Russia’s pursuits, using Belarusian army camps however the firm had not made a ultimate choice.
He additionally mentioned that Prigozhin has been given again the money and weapons that have been confiscated by Russian authorities.
Russian on-line newspaper Fontanka posted movies and images of Prigozhin’s opulent mansion in Russia’s second-largest metropolis and a few private objects. It additionally printed a group of selfies that confirmed him posing in varied wigs and overseas uniforms, an obvious reflection of Wagner’s deployments to Syria and several other African nations.
Asked if Prigozhin and his mercenaries would finally transfer to Belarus, Lukashenko answered evasively that it will depend upon the choices of the Wagner chief and the Russian authorities. The Belarusian chief mentioned he doesn’t suppose the mercenaries’ presence in Belarus would result in the destabilization of his nation and mentioned any Wagner troops there could be required to signal a contract with Belarusian authorities that might define circumstances and limitations of their actions.
He dismissed the ideas that the mercenaries might assault Ukraine from Belarusian territory, which Russian troops used as a staging floor forward of their invasion of Ukraine in February 2022. Moscow has additionally maintained army presence in Belarus.
During their brief revolt, Prigozhin’s mercenaries rapidly swept by way of the southern Russian metropolis of Rostov-on-Don and captured the army headquarters there earlier than marching to inside about 200 kilometers (125 miles) of the Russian capital. Prigozhin described it as a “march of justice” to oust the Russian protection minister and the General Staff chief.
The Wagner fighters confronted little resistance, smashing occasional roadblocks and downing at the least six helicopters and a command put up plane, killing at the least 10 airmen.
When the deal was struck, the Wagner chief ordered his troops to return to their camps.
The abortive rise up represented the largest menace to Putin in his greater than 20 years in energy, exposing his weak point and eroding the Kremlin’s authority.
Lukashenko mentioned he warned Prigozhin that he and his troops could be destroyed in the event that they didn’t make a deal to finish their mutiny and that Belarus would ship a brigade to assist defend Moscow.
“It was necessary to nip it in the bud. It was very dangerous, as history shows,” Lukashenko mentioned.
Asked concerning the deployment of Russia’s tactical nuclear weapons to Belarus, Lukashenko mentioned they’re meant to discourage any aggression towards the nation. Putin and Lukashenko each have mentioned that a few of them have already got been moved to Belarus.
“These weapons serve strictly defensive purposes,” he mentioned, including that if Belarus faces an aggression, “the answer will come instantly.”
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