Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko has recounted the details of his mediation in negotiations with PMC founder “Wagner” Yevgeny Prigozhin during his “mutiny” on June 23-24. According to Lukashenka, he suggested to Russian President Vladimir Putin not to rush into making difficult decisions and not to “wet” the rebels. Lukashenko said this after handing over the general’s epaulets to the most senior officers, transmits “Beltas”.
The Belarusian leader said he started receiving the first reports of the events in Russia on Friday, June 23, but “somehow he didn’t pay much attention to it.” According to Lukashenka, the next morning, immediately after his speech to the Russians, Putin called him and “informed him in detail” about what was happening.
“I asked (Putin) several questions, including how to counter this, and I realized that the situation was complicated. I will not develop this part of the conversation. <…> The most dangerous thing, as I understand it, is not what the situation was, but how it could have evolved, and its consequences. <…> I also understood: a cruel decision was made – to wet. I suggested to Putin not to rush,” Lukashenko said.
According to the Belarusian president, he offered to talk to Prigozhin and his fighters, but Putin said it was “useless” because the PMC founder “doesn’t even pick up the phone, doesn’t want to talk to anyone.”
“We spoke for 30 minutes in a native language”
Lukashenko received Prigozhin’s contacts through the FSB of Russia, and by the middle of the day on June 24, “up to three channels” of communication were established with Rostov-on-Don, where the founder was located of the PMC. According to the President, only FSB Director Alexander Bortnikov and Russian Deputy Defense Minister Yunus-Bek Yevkurov participated in the talks.
Yevkurov contacted Prigozhin at 11 a.m., he “immediately picked up the phone” and agreed to speak with Lukashenko. “The conversation is euphoric. Eugene is in full euphoria. We spoke for the first 30 minute round in foul language. Exceptionally, ”said the President of Belarus. According to him, Prigozhin was “pressured and influenced” by PMC commanders who had recently returned from the front and “saw thousands of their men dead”.
“The guys are very offended, especially the commanders. And, if I understand correctly, they greatly influenced <…> Prigogine himself. He’s such, you know, a heroic guy, but he was pressured and influenced by those who led the assault squads and saw those deaths. And in this situation, having jumped from there to Rostov, in a half-crazy state, I am conducting this dialogue with him,” Lukashenko noted.
According to the president, he explained to Prigozhin that Putin would not meet him or speak on the phone “because of this situation”, and also warned that he would be “crushed like an insect” halfway to Moscow.
“I say, ‘Halfway through, they’ll just crush you like a bug. Despite the fact that the troops (Putin told me about this for a long time) are distracted on the corresponding front. Think about it, I say. “No”, such euphoria,” Lukashenko said.
He added that he had “persuaded” Prigozhin for a long time to stop moving to Moscow, because the situation would eventually affect Belarus as well. Lukashenko also warned that a brigade of Belarusian security forces was ready to be transferred to Moscow to protect her.
“It’s not just because it’s our homeland. And because, God forbid, this unrest would go all over Russia, and the preconditions were colossal, we were next,” the Belarusian leader said.
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