The meeting between Vladimir Putin AndAlexander Lukashenko, a staunch Kremlin ally, comes almost a month after Wagner’s failed rebellion in Russia, which the Belarusian leader played a role in bringing to an end. In a sign of the importance of this first face-to-face exchange since that spectacular episode that shook Russia’s power, Vladimir Putin said Sunday that the two leaders would dedicate “a day and a half, two days” to these bilateral talks.
In the Security in Our Region program, the Russian President reiterated this in a preliminary remark broadcast on Russian television. Valdimir Putin and Alexander Lukashenko also have to discuss the important file of the paramilitary group Wagner, whose leader Evguéni Prigoyine claimed to want to overthrow the Russian military hierarchy. According to the Kremlin itself, Alexander Lukashenko acted as an intermediary between the Russian Presidency and Yevgeny Prigoyine to find a quick solution the mutiny.
“Wagner’s men ask to go west”
In the agreement reached between the parties, the Wagner fighters were proposed to sign a contract with the regular Russian army, enter civilian life or go to Belarus. Since then, some of his men, having gained combat experience, have arrived in this neighboring country of Russia. Alexander Lukashenko, for example, assured Vladimir Putin on Sunday that he was “detaining” Wagner in the center of Belarus and claimed to have the situation “under control”. “They started to tire us. They demand to “go west” (…) to Warsaw, Rzeszów,” Alexander Lukashenko first explained to his Russian counterpart, who had a slight smile on his lips. “But of course I’m keeping them in central Belarus, as we agreed,” he added.
“You’re in a bad mood,” he stated without giving any further details. “We control what happens (with Wagner)”. Alexander Lukashenko also accused Warsaw of wanting to transfer “territories” from western Ukraine to Poland, which he described as “unacceptable”. Vladimir Putin made similar remarks on Friday, angering Warsaw, which summoned the Russian ambassador “urgently” the next day and viewed the Russian president’s statements as “provocative”. On Sunday, in north-eastern Poland, Polish Defense Minister Mariusz Blaszczak announced the imminent formation of an engineer battalion to bolster its eastern flank.
(With AFP)
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