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The more taciturn Vladimir Putin (70) comments on last weekend’s military coup attempt, the more talkative his old confidant, Alexander Lukashenko (68), becomes. On several occasions, the Belarusian president has commented on the failure of the Russian security forces, stressed the great danger to Russia he managed to avert, and revealed details of his important deal with Wagner boss Yevgeny Prigozhin.
Alexander Lukashenko, the eternal suppliant from Minsk. The man the Kremlin Czar had to protect from his own people when they protested the dictator’s stolen 2020 election victory. Putin’s “little brother”. It grows to eye level these days. He gets praise in Russia. Pro-government media have even proposed a monument to Lukashenko in Moscow. Balm for the wounds of a humiliated dictator who was said to be suffering from a serious illness a few weeks ago.
Putin did not want to negotiate with Prigozhin
When the Wagner troops started their advance, he, the Belarusian president, immediately put together an entire brigade. Alexander Lukashenko told the state press service Ria Novosti that he would have sent her to Russia if it had become necessary. He continues dramatically: “A disintegration of Russia will crush us all under the rubble. We would all die, that’s my opinion.”
He spoke to Vladimir Putin twice on the day of the uprising. He did not want to negotiate with Prigozhin. Then Lukashenko came up with the idea of offering Prigozhin an exile in Belarus. At least that’s the official version. However, many Russia experts doubt that Lukashenko took the initiative, but rather suspect that Putin gave him the job.
“Evgeny, you will be crushed like a flea”
“The dispute between the Wagner group and the Russian army has been handled badly,” Lukashenko explained during a press conference with Russian media on Tuesday. “The situation eluded us.” By “us” Lukashenko probably means himself and the Kremlin. More modestly, he adds: “This story has no heroes”.
He had spoken tacheles with Prigozhin. “I told him: Yevgeny, you know Putin. In this situation, he will not even speak to you on the phone, much less meet you, ”says Lukashenko. And he warned Prigozhin: “If you continue to march to Moscow, you will be crushed you halfway like a flea.” Wagner’s boss then relented.
Result of the heroic mediation: Yevgeny Prigozhin and his men go unpunished. The Wagner Group will not be split up, as the Russian Ministry of Defense intended. The mercenaries can go to Belarus. Their leader has already landed in Belarus and is in a windowless hotel room for his own protection. 8,000 mercenaries are now deployed in the south of the land of exile. More will probably follow.
Wagner forces in Belarus made NATO sit up and take notice
“They are experienced fighters,” says Lukashenko, “they can teach my forces something.” But the dictator probably won’t be too happy with the unscrupulous, mindless fighters. He certainly suspects you. In the 2020 elections, Lukashenko had three dozen of the approximately 200 Wagner mercenaries arrested in Minsk for behaving suspiciously, photographing military installations and being drunk.
They will continue to pose a threat in the future. They could organize another uprising in Russia from Belarus or draw Belarus into the war with attacks on NATO territory and, last but not least, endanger the Lukashenko regime. NATO partners also agree that Belarus could become more dangerous with the Wagner Group.
So Vilnius demanded the reinforcement of the eastern flank. “If Prigozhin or parts of the Wagner group land in Belarus with unclear plans and unclear intentions, we must further strengthen the security of our eastern borders,” Lithuanian President Gitanas Nauseda, 59, told the media after a meeting of the National Security Council. Germany is already taking action, permanently stationing 4,000 of its troops in the Baltic country bordering Belarus and the Russian enclave of Kaliningrad.
Source: Blick
I am Amelia James, a passionate journalist with a deep-rooted interest in current affairs. I have more than five years of experience in the media industry, working both as an author and editor for 24 Instant News. My main focus lies in international news, particularly regional conflicts and political issues around the world.
