Putin thanks Lukashenko for talks with PMC Wagner head
This comes after the Belarusian President informed Putin that Prigozhin accepted his proposal to de-escalate the situation in Russia.
-
Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko attends a meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin at the Novo-Ogaryovo state residence, outside Moscow, Russia, Friday, Feb. 17, 2023. (AP)
According to the Pool Pervogo Telegram channel, Russia and Belarus presidents held another phone call on Saturday where Putin thanked Lukashenko for his role in speaking to the head of the Wagner Group private military company (PMC), Yevgeny Prigozhin.
Earlier today, the Belarusian President informed Putin that Prigozhin accepted his proposal to de-escalate the situation in Russia.
On Saturday morning, Russian President Vladimir Putin briefed his Belarusian counterpart on the situation in southern Russia around the Wagner PMC, with the two leaders agreeing on coordinated actions, Lukashenko's office mentioned in a statement.
On his part, Prigozhin confirmed that PMC Wagner is turning its troop columns back and moving back to its field camps.
According to Lukashenko's press service, "The President of Belarus informed the President of Russia in detail about the results of negotiations with the leadership of PMC Wagner," adding that Putin "thanked his Belarusian colleague.
The Armenian government also announced that Putin spoke to Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan where they discussed the current situation.
The government detailed on social media that during the conversation the PM inquired about the situation internally in "friendly" Moscow and was briefed by the Russian President on recent events.
