Belarus became the new home of the paramilitary group and Yevgeny Prigozhin

Evguégni Prigojine marched on Moscow, and here he landed in Minsk. The president of Belarus, Alexander Lukashenko, confirmed the mercenary’s arrival in the capital on Tuesday, June 27, two days after Wagner’s show of force in Russia. The dictator agreed on Saturday to welcome the head of a paramilitary group into Russia as part of a deal that ended a frenzied march by armed militias.

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On Tuesday morning, the Un An Embraer 600 commercial jet landed at the Matchulishchi military airfield, according to the Belarusian Gayon Observatory. Minsk did not confirm whether the leader of the Wagner Group had arrived on this flight or another flight. The Belarusian dictator now believes that their Wagner commanders can help his armed forces “experience”. According to him, there is nothing to be afraid of their arrival on the territory of Belarus. “I wouldn’t mind if there was such a unit in the army.Defense Minister Viktor Grenin, quoted by the official Belda agency, also made a bid.

Earlier in the day, during a five-minute speech, President Vladimir Putin offered the Wagnerite militias an opportunity to travel to Belarus. “return to their families”, or to sign contracts with the Russian Ministry of Defense or law enforcement agencies. The neighboring country, however, is ready to welcome these men.

“We haven’t built a camp yet” For Wagner’s fighters, said Alexander Lukashenko. He adds that these soldiers, who are still in the occupied Ukrainian region of Luhansk, can take up residence in unused areas with the help of the authorities. Earlier in the day, independent media Viorstka had informed That base camps will be set up. According to this source, more than 8,000 beds are already planned for the future center in Asipovichi, located 200 kilometers from Ukraine.

According to Alexander Lukashenko, it is not certain that Wagner recruitment centers will be formed in the country. Above all, he promised, these militants would not be in charge of monitoring tactical nuclear weapons transferred from Russia to the territory. “This is our mission”with the Russians, “And I’m a senior weapons security officer.”.

Prigozhin and Lukashenko, old acquaintances

So Wagner’s future mission in the country remains to be defined. On Saturday evening, Alexander Lukashenko announced that the group could continue its activities in his country. “On Legal Basis”. And Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov announced that Yevgeny Prigozhin would carry his bags to Belarus, offering only the Russian president’s word as a guarantee.

He then underscored the closeness of the dictator and the mercenary, promising that they knew each other. “for twenty years”. Former head of Belarusian Public Broadcasting ensures The two met in 2002, about a floating restaurant run by futuristic mercenaries. A place located in the heart of St. Petersburg, where all political and business elites meet. But it is difficult to gauge the true nature of their relationship.

These are not always in good condition. In July 2020, 33 Wagner militants were arrested in a hotel in Minsk, accused of wanting to destabilize the country during the presidential election campaign. Later reported State Agency Belda. A chance for President Alexander Lukashenko to mark his territory against a larger neighbor. “We have a good relationship, I call her Xenia [diminutif d’Evguéni]”Despite this episode, Prigozhin was declared a dictator. “I wish him only the best”For his part the mercenary replied that he was not too angry.

At the beginning of the year, Wagner’s meeting, one of the emblems of the paramilitary group, was exposed In its violin case, at a patriotic exhibition in Minsk. This infamous symbol of war crimes was autographed by a certain “Bez” – the call sign of Nikolai Butkov, the Belarusian commander of the Wagner group. Independent media Reform.by. The man is best known for ordering the execution of a Syrian in 2017, who was tortured and beheaded and had his limbs crushed with a sledgehammer.

However, Belarus does not yet appear to be linked to Wagner. In the short term, Alexander Lukashenko wants to grow his role in the negotiations during the Wagner parade. The Russian Duma opened its session for the first time on Tuesday with a standing ovation for him and Vladimir Putin. The Belarusian president, it is true, has offered new pledges of loyalty to Moscow. After that? “The only advantage the Belarusian leader could have was to use Prigozhin’s men as a personal army against a possible rebellion.”Katia Glod of the European Leadership Network in London told AFP.

The arrival of mercenaries, however, has the flavor of exile. Vladimir Putin said the Wagner Group received 86 billion rubles (920 million euros) between May 2022 and May 2023. But that too “Owner of Concord Catering Company”That is, Yevgeny Prigozhin earned more than 80 billion rubles in contracts with a subsidiary of the Ministry of Defense. “I hope no one steals anything, but we’ll take care of everything”, said the Russian president. History, no doubt, issues an ultimatum to his former chef.