Ben
Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko has acknowledged the presence of Wagner forces in Belarus while emphasizing his role in quelling the recent mutiny. Lukashenko confirmed that Yevgeny Prigozhin, the leader of the Wagner paramilitary group, has arrived in the country.
He mentioned providing an abandoned military site to the mercenary group as a temporary arrangement.
Lukashenko is believed to have mediated a deal that narrowly averted Wagner mercenaries from advancing toward Moscow after they rebelled against Russian military leaders.
Regarding recruitment, Lukashenko stated there wouldn’t be any Wagner recruitment points in Belarus, but citizens may join the group. He cautioned about the potential “danger of death” associated with such a decision.
Lukashenko attributed the mutiny to an “interpersonal conflict” between Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu and Prigozhin, which escalated into the current situation.
He requested not to be referred to as a “mediator,” asserting that he was a “participant” because of the shared problem faced by Russia and Belarus. Lukashenkoacknowledged also stressed the importance of learning from this mutiny and responding to military collectives’ requests.
Supporters of Putin have insisted the revolt did not weaken his rule. When asked about the impact of Wagner’s rebel mercenaries seizing a military headquarters, advancing towards Moscow, and shooting down military aircraft, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov accused political commentators of exaggeration and disagreed with their assessments. Putin himself sought to portray the weekend’s dramatic events as a triumph for the Russian army.
While gathering troops from various Russian defense and security organizations in a Kremlin courtyard, Putin commended them for effectively stopping a potential civil war. He also observed a minute’s silence in honor of the airmen slain by Wagner.
_
Source: Omanghana.com
