MINSK, Belarus — The mercenary chief who led a short-lived mutiny in opposition to the Kremlin is in Russia and his troops are of their area camps, the president of Belarus mentioned Thursday, elevating new questions concerning the deal that ended the extraordinary problem to President Vladimir Putin’s rule.
Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko’s declare couldn’t be independently verified, and the Kremlin refused to touch upon Yevgeny Prigozhin’s whereabouts. However Russian media have reported he was not too long ago seen at his workplaces in St. Petersburg.
It was not clear if Prigozhin’s presence in Russia would violate the deal, which allowed the top of the Wagner Group navy contractor to maneuver to Belarus in alternate for ending the insurrection and a promise of amnesty for him and his troops. However the studies signaled that the settlement could have allowed him to finalize his affairs in Russia.
If that is true, it may counsel the menace posed by Prigozhin has not but been absolutely defused and that the Kremlin is treading rigorously with him till it will probably determine what to do with troops who should be loyal to him. Putin has mentioned that Wagner troops can be part of the Russian navy, retire from service or transfer to Belarus.
However a lot concerning the the settlement, which was brokered by Lukashenko, stays murky.
Final week, Lukashenko mentioned the mercenary chief was in Belarus, however on Thursday he informed worldwide reporters that Prigozhin was in St. Petersburg and will additionally journey to Moscow if he needs, whereas Wagner’s troops have been of their camps. He didn’t specify the situation of the camps, however Prigozhin’s mercenaries fought alongside Russian forces in japanese Ukraine earlier than their revolt and now have bases on Russian territory.
He additionally mentioned that Prigozhin has been given again the money and weapons that have been confiscated by Russian authorities.
Requested the place Prigozhin is, Putin spokesman Dmitry Peskov shrugged off the query, saying that the Kremlin has neither the need nor the means to trace his actions — however reaffirmed that the deal that ended the mutiny envisaged his transfer to Belarus.
Lukashenko mentioned his authorities provided Wagner, which has despatched troops around the globe to struggle for Russia’s pursuits, the usage of Belarusian navy camps however that the corporate had not made a remaining determination.
The Kremlin has performed down the truth that Prigozhin escaped punishment for his mutiny whereas different Putin critics have been met with harsh jail sentences, exile and even dying, saying that the cope with the Wagner chief was essential to keep away from large bloodshed.
The Belarusian chief shrugged off strategies that Putin would possibly order Prigozhin killed, saying: “For those who assume that Putin is so vicious and vindictive to complete him off, no, it’s not going to occur.”
On Wednesday, Russian on-line newspapers Fontanka and Izvestia posted movies and photographs of Prigozhin’s opulent mansion in Russia’s second-largest metropolis that confirmed stacks of money and gold bullion. The pictures gave the impression to be a part of the authorities’ efforts to denigrate Prigozhin, who has postured as an enemy of corrupt elites despite the fact that he has owed his wealth to Putin.
A photograph hanging within the mansion confirmed a lineup of decapitated heads. In a single printed picture, an outsized memento sledgehammer is also seen with the inscription “for necessary negotiations.” The sledgehammer has turn out to be an emblem of Wagner after studies its troops used the device to beat defectors to dying.
The Russian media additionally printed a set of selfies that confirmed him posing in numerous wigs, faux beards and overseas uniforms, an obvious reflection of Wagner’s deployments to Syria and several other African international locations.
Requested if Prigozhin and his mercenaries would ultimately transfer to Belarus, Lukashenko answered evasively that it might rely on the choices of the Wagner chief and the Russian authorities.
The Belarusian chief mentioned he doesn’t assume the mercenaries’ presence in his nation would result in its destabilization and mentioned any Wagner troops there could be required to signal a contract with Belarusian authorities that might define situations and limitations of their actions.
Belarusian political analyst Valery Karbalevich argued, nevertheless, that Lukashenko may really feel uneasy about Wagner’s presence on his turf. “If this construction rebelled in opposition to its grasp as soon as, it will probably do it repeatedly and march on Minsk as a substitute of marching on Moscow,” Karbalevich mentioned.
The Belarusian president dismissed strategies that the mercenaries may assault Ukraine from Belarusian territory, which Russian troops used as a staging floor forward of their invasion of Ukraine in February 2022. Moscow has additionally maintained a navy presence in Belarus.
Throughout their brief revolt, Prigozhin’s mercenaries shortly swept by the southern Russian metropolis of Rostov-on-Don and captured the navy headquarters there earlier than marching to inside about 200 kilometers (125 miles) of the Russian capital. Prigozhin described it as a “march of justice” to oust his longtime foes — Russian protection minister Sergei Shoigu and the chief of the navy’s normal workers, Gen. Valery Gerasimov, whose dealing with of the battle in Ukraine he criticized.
The Wagner fighters confronted little resistance, smashing occasional roadblocks. Additionally they downed not less than six helicopters and a command publish plane, killing not less than 10 airmen.
When the deal was struck, the Wagner chief ordered his troops to return to their camps.
The abortive insurrection represented the most important menace to Putin in his greater than twenty years in energy, exposing his weak point and eroding the Kremlin’s authority. It wasn’t instantly clear whether or not Shoigu and Gerasimov retained Putin’s favor after vanishing from public view in the course of the mutiny, however to date they’ve saved their positions.
Lukashenko mentioned he warned Prigozhin that he and his troops could be destroyed in the event that they did not make a fast deal to finish their mutiny and that Belarus would ship a brigade to assist defend Moscow.
“It was essential to nip it within the bud. It was very harmful, as historical past exhibits,” Lukashenko mentioned.
Requested concerning the deployment of Russia’s tactical nuclear weapons to Belarus, Lukashenko mentioned they’re meant to discourage any aggression in opposition to the nation. Putin and Lukashenko each have mentioned that a few of them have already got been moved to Belarus, and the Belarusian chief reaffirmed Thursday {that a} “sure quantity” of them have been flown to Belarus and the remaining might be delivered earlier than the yr’s finish.
Lukashenko mentioned that Russia would seek the advice of him on any potential use of these weapons, including that it may solely occur in response to an act aggression by NATO in opposition to Russia or Belarus.
The Belarusian chief famous that “these weapons serve strictly defensive functions.”
He added: “Do not contact us, and we’ll by no means use these lethal weapons.”