The Belarusian president has arrived in Saint Petersburg to meet Vladimir Putin. The two men discussed the Ukrainian crisis and the situation of Wagner’s men in Belarus who, according to Alexander Lukashenko, are very unhappy and would like to go on an excursion to Warsaw.
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The encounter between Vladimir Poutine AndAlexander Lukashenko, a staunch ally of the Kremlin, comes nearly a month after Wagner’s abortive rebellion in Russia, in which the Belarusian leader played a role in putting an end to it. A sign of the importance of this first exchange in person since this spectacular episode which shook Russian power, Vladimir Putin said on Sunday that the two leaders “were going to devote a day and a half, two days” to these bilateral talks.
On the program, “security in our region”, affirmed the Russian president, in preliminary remarks broadcast on Russian television. Valdimir Putin and Alexander Lukashenko will also have to discuss the important file of the paramilitary group Wagner, whose leader, Evguéni Prigojine, had claimed to want to overthrow the Russian military hierarchy. According to the Kremlin and what he says himself, Alexander Lukashenko acted as a mediator between the Russian presidency and Yevgeny Prigojine to find a quick solution to the mutiny.
“ Wagner’s men ask go west »
In the agreement reached between the parties, it was proposed to Wagner’s fighters to sign a contract with the regular Russian army, to join civilian life or else to go to Belarus. Since then, some of his men who have gained combat experience have arrived in this neighboring country of Russia. Alexander Lukashenko thus assured Sunday before Vladimir Putin that he “kept” Wagner in the center of Belarus, claiming to “control” the situation. ” They started to tire us. They ask to “to go west”(…) in Warsaw, Rzeszow “, initially declared Alexander Lukashenko to his Russian counterpart, who sketched a slight smile. ” But, of course, that I keep them in the center of Belarus, as we agreed “, he added.
” They are in a bad mood “, he noted, without giving 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 had made similar remarks on Friday, angering Warsaw, which summoned the Russian ambassador the next day “urgently”, deeming the statements of the Russian president “provocative”. On Sunday, Polish Defense Minister Mariusz Blaszczak in northeastern Poland announced the upcoming formation of a battalion of sappers, a way to bolster his eastern flank.
(With AFP)
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