Belarus President’s Double Warning to Wagner’s Prigozhin
According to Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko, he cautioned Wagner leader Yevgeny Prigozhin twice about potential threats to his life.
“The first time was when I called him while they were marching on Moscow,” Lukashenko told reporters on Friday, according to comments carried by the Belarusian state news agency Belta.
“I told him, ‘Yevgeny, do you realize you will destroy your nation and extinguish yourself?’ He had just returned from the front lines. On impulse, he exclaimed, “Then I will die, damn you!”
Prigozhin, the notorious leader of the mercenary organization Wagner, is believed to have been aboard a plane that crashed in a field north of Moscow while en route to St. Petersburg, and days later, the longtime Belarusian leader made his remarks.
Two months to the day after Prigozhin launched a short-lived mutiny against Russia’s military leadership, the accident occurred, posing an unprecedented challenge to Russian President Vladimir Putin’s authority.
It is currently unclear what caused the accident, but US and Western intelligence officials with whom CNN has spoken believe that it was intentional. The Russian government has initiated a criminal investigation.
The Kremlin denied any involvement in the plane disaster on Friday, and no evidence implicating Putin or Russian security services has been presented.
During the second time he spoke with Prigozhin, the Belarusian leader said he warned him “in no uncertain terms” to be careful.
Lukashenko did not specify the meeting’s time. He added that Prigozhin’s long-time lieutenant, Dmitriy Utkin, had accompanied him.
Belta reported that the Belarusian president suggested to Prigozhin that he speak with Putin and “guarantee full security” in Belarus if he was concerned for his safety.
“I said, ‘If you’re afraid of anything, I’ll speak with Vladimir Putin and we’ll evacuate you to Belarus. We assure your complete safety in Belarus. According to the agency, Lukashenko stated that Yevgeny Prigozhin never asked him to give separate attention to security issues.
ALSO READ: Wagner Chief Prigozhin Dies in Russian Plane Crash
Putin spoke publicly about Prigozhin in the past tense on Thursday, even though Russian authorities have not yet formally confirmed his demise.
Both Prigozhin and Utkin were on the list of passengers released by the Russian Federal Air Transport Agency, and both the Pentagon and the British Ministry of Defense believe the Wagner leader was likely slain in the rash.
Dmitry Peskov, a spokesman for the Kremlin, stated that tests are ongoing to determine who was on board.
“Can’t conceive” Vladimir Putin
Lukashenko previously stated that he “could not imagine” that Putin was responsible for Prigozhin’s apparent death.
“I cannot identify the perpetrator. I will not become an attorney for my older sibling. Putin, however, is a prudent, very placid, and slow-moving decision-maker when it comes to less complex matters. Therefore, it is inconceivable to me that Putin is responsible,” Lukashenko told journalists.
“The work was too rough and unprofessional,” he continued.
According to Belta, Lukashenko stated that Prigozhin never requested security guarantees after the attempted mutiny two months ago.
“I am not responsible for Prigozhin’s protection. This is the initial point. “Secondly, (Prigozhin and Lukashenko’s) conversation never centered on this,” he said.
In addition, he stated that Wagner would “live in Belarus” and that “everyone will be here within a few days,” referring to Wagner’s fighters and the agreement he made to accommodate the group after the failed uprising.
“Up to 10,000 people,” he stated. “As long as we need this unit, they will live and work with us.”
Lukashenko stated, about satellite imagery purporting to depict the recent dismantling of Wagner fighters’ camps, “Why are we removing extra tents? We don’t need so many.” All telephones, addresses, passwords, and physical appearances are known, even though the core of the group has departed, someone has gone on vacation, and someone has chosen to reside on the fringes.
Wagner’s future, both in Belarus and elsewhere, has been rendered uncertain by Prigozhin’s passing.
Belarus President’s Double Warning to Wagner’s Prigozhin
