Prigozhin now in Belarus: Lukashenko
According to the Belarusian head of State, members of the contracting group have no intention of creating a provocation in Belarus ahead of the NATO summit in Vilnius.
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Yevgeny Prigozhin, head of Wagner PMC, looks out from a military vehicle on a street in Rostov-on-Don, Russia, Saturday, June 24, 2023 (AP)
Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko on Tuesday confirmed that Yevgeny Prigozhin, the head of the private military company Wagner, has landed in Belarus.
"Yes, indeed, he [Prigozhin] is in Belarus today," Lukashenko said, as quoted by the state-run Belta news agency.
Lukashenko added that Defense Minister Viktor Khrenin expressed a desire to see Wagner contractors join the Belarusian armed forces.
He also said that members of the contracting group have no intention of creating a provocation in Belarus ahead of the NATO summit in Vilnius.
"If we needed a provocation, I have thousands of military personnel in the western direction. I just give the command and they will organize any provocation. But we do not need it. Well, if we scare them in Vilnius, so what? We will get something in response. Therefore, there is no need," Lukashenko said, as quoted by Belta.
Read more: Wagner head to move to Belarus, fighters not to be prosecuted: Kremlin
On June 24, Wagner PMC chief Yevgeny Prigozhin announced on his Telegram channel storming the Rostov region and taking over the military headquarters in response to what he claims was a Russian attack on his troops earlier under the orders of the Defense Ministry, while the Ministry rejected his accusations.
Prigozhin called on the group's supporters inside the Russian Federation to join his movement and rebel against Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu, as well as the Chief of Staff and commander of the military operations in Ukraine Army General Valery Gerasimov.
On Saturday, the Belarusian presidential office announced that Prigozhin accepted the proposal of Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko to stop the movement of Wagner fighters in Russia and take further steps to de-escalate the situation.
Later on the same day, the Kremlin confirmed that Prigozhin will move to Belarus as part of the deal brokered by Lukashenko. Furthermore, a criminal case against the Wagner chief was dropped.
Peskov also noted that Wagner fighters who did not partake in the mutiny will sign contracts with the Russian Defense Ministry, while those who did participate won't be prosecuted.
Read more: Putin hails Russian troops for stopping civil war
