Lukashenko to visit Putin to talk about Wagner Group
Alexander Lukashenko, self-proclaimed Belarusian President, has announced plans to meet with Russian leader Vladimir Putin shortly to discuss, among other things, the "issue regarding Wagner Private Military Company (PMC)".
Source: Belarusian regime-aligned news agency BelTA, citing Lukashenko during a press conference
Details: The self-proclaimed leader of Belarus believes that Putin has no intention of assassinating Yevgeny Prigozhin, tge Wagner Group's financier. He claims that the latter is at large.
Quote: "What will come next for him? Well, everything is possible in life. But if you think that Putin is so spiteful and vindictive, he [Prigozhin] will be 'whacked' tomorrow... No, it won't happen."
Yesterday afternoon, I spoke to him [Yevgeny Prigozhin – BelTA] on the phone and we discussed further actions of the Wagner PMC. He told me one thing: 'We will work for the good of Russia and we will perform our duty to the end'."
Background:
- After the attempted coup by Wagner PMC, Russian President Vladimir Putin claimed that the Wagnerites would "move to Belarus", which was allegedly the same thing he said to their leader Yevgeny Prigozhin.
- Russian media outlet Verstka reported that camps were being built in Belarus to house Wagner PMC militants after the agreement between Alexander Lukashenko and Yevgeny Prigozhin.
- The State Border Guard Service of Ukraine denied this information. The State Border Guard Service of Ukraine stressed that the intelligence service closely monitors the situation in Belarus, which is an ally of the Russian aggressor state.
- On 27 June, Alexander Lukashenko, self-proclaimed President of Belarus, said that Belarus was not building camps for the Wagner PMC but would "help with accommodation" if necessary.
- The media posted photos of the camps in Belarus where Wagner PMC mercenaries are likely to be stationed.
- Ukraine’s Defence Intelligence Chief Kyrylo Budanov believes there are no plans for a massive redeployment of Yevgeny Prigozhin's forces to Belarus, and the Wagner Private Military Company (PMC) will be gradually relocated to Africa.
- On 6 July, Lukashenko claimed that the Wagner PMC leader Yevgeny Prigozhin and the Wagnerites were not in the country at the moment.
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