Lukashenko, Prigozhin
Dubai – Al Arabiya.net
Posted on: July 06, 2023: 11:45 AM GST Last updated: July 06, 2023: 12:51 PM GST
The Belarusian President, Alexander Lukashenko, confirmed that the leader of the Wagner Group, Yevgeny Prigozhin, is not yet in his country, but rather in the Russian city of St. Petersburg.
He added, in statements today, Thursday, that Wagner fighters are in their permanent camps, according to Reuters.
Lukashenko told journalists working for foreign media during a press conference that he had asked the Wagner Group to have a headquarters in Belarus, pointing out that he did not expect the group to direct its weapons against his country. He also indicated that there are no risks to his country from hosting Wagner.
He also said that there are issues related to the redeployment of Wagner fighters that have not yet been resolved, and made it clear that he is discussing a meeting between Russian President Vladimir Putin and the Wagner commander.
Unconditional negotiations
In addition, in a question to Al-Arabiya / Al-Hadath, Lukashenko made it clear that the world is entering a stage of multipolarity and it is not possible to stand against that, calling on Russia and Ukraine to start peace negotiations without preconditions.
Prigozhin, who was supposed to go to Belarus as part of a deal concluded after the failed rebellion, had gone in a recorded audio speech Monday evening, from 41 seconds he posted on Telegram, in which he thanked his supporters for his support, according to the “Politico” website.
He also stressed that his movement was not intended to change the government in Russia, claiming that it was for the purpose of what he called “fighting traitors.”
The first enemy
And Prigozhin, 62, turned from a folk hero to enemy number one in Russia after he led an armed rebellion that lasted 36 hours last month, in which he seized the city of Rostov in the south of the country, and sent his men to a distance of 200 kilometers from the capital, Moscow.
The man then disappeared after President Vladimir Putin condemned his rebellion, calling it a “stab in the back”.
During Prigozhin’s exit from Rostov (Reuters)
After that, he won a judicial reprieve in a deal brokered by Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko, according to which he received him in his country with his elements.
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2023-07-06 07:45:00
