Lukashenko confirms Wagner chief Proigozhin arriving in Belarus | DW News

Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko has confirmed that the head of the Wagner mercenary group Yevgeny Prigozhin has arrived in Belarus. The country's state news agency quoted Lukashenko as saying Yevgeny Prigozhin and some of his troops are welcome to stay in Belarus for some time at their own expense. Lukashenko was also quoted as saying that it was him who talked Prigozhin out of trying to enter Moscow. After calling off his revolt against Russia's defence leadership on Saturday, Prigozhin agreed a deal to move to Belarus.

Franak Viacorka, a chief political adviser to Belarusian opposition leader Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya, told DW that Wagner group leader Yevgeny Prigozhin's arrival in Belarus was very dangerous for Belarusian society and independence, as well as for neighboring Poland, Lithuania, and Latvia.

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[markmd]

From refusing to recognize that it exist to we fully paid it.

[BaconHer]

Prigozhin blinked and now he'll pay. Amnesty from Putin just means "I'll deal with you later"

[KurodaSenpai]

This means that Russia is directly involved in every conflict in which the Wagner troops are engaged.

[SpencerHHO]

This is actually an incredible admission considering that wagner was created in order to create deniability. It's also an implicit acknowledgement of previous lies.

[SG-jsqn]

I wonder what Lukashenko plans to do with a mercenary army that is more effective than the Russian army?

[Squired]

Wow! He just took responsibility for all of Wagner international actions.

[BernieSnowden]

Can't imagine being one of the good Belarusians. Imagine getting your hopes up about the initial coup attempt and then it turns into Prigozhin and all of Wagner going to Belarus lmao

[oreoandoz]

Fantastic analysis, having a Belarusian point of view on this is so valuable.

[blusquirrel]

'Support for the Wagner group was fully funded by the state...' In a democracy that would be an admission of gross corruption. Remember Iran-Contra?

[MarlonBrando]

Telling everyone you paid for killers you can’t control is the new humble brag of the year.

[alkazeicer]

prigozhin is new president of beloruss with 25k hardened war criminals

[Time.Travel]

Either Putin just made one of the greatest Chess moves in the history of War, or Prigozhin won the lottery but lost the ticket.

[SeeLasSee]

If anything, Lukashenko probably thinks Wagner can shore up Belarus. If he is at risk of losing power he can hire them…

[gawievorster]

Lukachenko will use Wagner to stay in power, taking his lack of support in Belarus into account.

[giselle]

Lukashenko has said Belarus will only fight Ukraine if they get attacked first. If Putin uses Belarus as a staging ground for attacks, Ukraine can either fight back, in which case Belarusian soldiers might get involved, or they don’t fight back in which case they have to suffer attacks without much of a defense. It looks like Putin is staging a situation which gets Belarus involved in the war whether they like it or not.

[michaelogunronbi]

The Wagner leader has to be dealt with cautiously or else his loyalists who are mostly armed men can cause a big problem for Putin and Russia at large, thereby giving the Ukrainians the opportunity to retake their lands.

[reserved]

Also Russia: private military is illegal
…. Admitting to sponsoring the biggest PMC entirely

[nata]

I think I hear Churchill in the background

[First-Last_name]

It was rumoured pregozin drove off with a truck full off cash. This confirms it 😂😂

[modesto]

I’m American 🇺🇸, I wish all you fellow human brothers and sisters peace ☮️