The leader of the Wagner Group, Yevgeny Prigozhin, has arrived in Belarus, where he was given sanctuary after the uprising against the Kremlin this weekend.
That he may be accompanied by thousands of mercenaries worries the neighboring countries of Lithuania, Latvia and Poland.
– These are very negative signals for us, says Polish President Andrzej Duda.
Belarus dictator Aleksandr Lukashenko says that Prigozhin has received security guarantees and is allowed to stay in the country, reports the state news agency Belta. However, no camp will be built for the Wagner group, but they have been offered to settle in an abandoned military base.
– Go ahead, we have fences, we have everything – put up your tents, says Lukashenko according to Reuters reports BBC.
It remains uncertain how many of Prigozhin’s approximately 25,000 mercenaries will accompany their leader to exile in Belarus. Russian President Vladimir Putin has said they have a choice between joining their leader in Belarus or enlisting in the regular Russian army.
Causing concern
But the news that thousands of Wagner soldiers can settle in Belarus raises concerns among neighboring countries and NATO members Lithuania, Latvia and Poland, writes The Guardian.
– We will see what happens. The relocation of Russian forces in the form of the Wagner group to Belarus, and the arrival of the Wagner leader there, are very negative signals for us that we will definitely take up with our allies, says Polish President Andrzej Duda at a press conference.
Urges NATO
Latvia and Lithuania are also concerned about the movement of Wagner soldiers and are calling on NATO to strengthen its eastern border.
Latvian Foreign Minister Edgars Rinkevics stated during a visit to Paris that the rapid advance of the Wagner group towards Moscow during the uprising requires a tighter defense of the Baltic states.
– This needs to be assessed from a different security point of view. We have seen the capabilities of these mercenaries, he said, referring to the Wagner Group.
A security risk for Belarus
TV4 News foreign affairs commentator Elisabeth Frerot says that Lukashenko’s position has changed since he helped put down this weekend’s Wagner uprising – and that the Belarusian dictator is being hailed as a hero in Russian media. His military power can now also be strengthened with the help of Wagner soldiers.
But having potentially 25,000 armed private soldiers in the country need not only be something positive for Lukashenko, she believes,
– It can also be a security risk. In his speech today, he described this rebellion as something very, very serious. He meant that if Russia collapses, we will all be in ruins and Belarus itself had put its defense on high alert to be prepared for something like this, says Elisabeth Frerot.