Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko revealed the content of the negotiations he conducted to stop the armed rebellion announced by the founder of Wagner Yevgeny Prigozhin on June 24.
Lukashenko said in press statements, “The most dangerous thing, as I understand it’s not what the situation was, but how it could develop and its consequences… This was the most dangerous… I also understood that a difficult decision had been made, and I suggested to Putin that he take his time and that we talk to Prigozhin”.
Lukashenko continued, saying, “I asked Putin, where is Prigozhin… He replied, In Rostov, I answered him, Well…. A fragile peace is better than any good war… Don’t rush… I’ll try to contact him”.
Lukashenko pointed out that in the end he was able to contact Prigozhin and talk to him at noon on June 24, and persuade him to stop the rebellion.
Lukashenko added, “I won’t hide and stand idly by, it was painful to watch the events that took place in the south of Russia… I am not the only one who affected by these events, but many of our compatriots took them seriously, because our homeland is one… I gave all orders to mobilize the Belarusian army in anticipation of any emergency.
On Saturday night, the city of Rostov, southwestern Russia, witnessed an armed rebellion announced by Wagner group, which seized the headquarters of the Southern Military District in the city, and set up barriers at the entrances and exits of the city.
Later, Wagner forces withdrew from the city after reaching an agreement, mediated by Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko, for the departure of the founder of Wagner, Yevgeny Prigozhin, to Belarus and stop searching for him, and for the return of his fighters to their camps with the guarantee of President Vladimir Putin and the Russian Ministry of Defense.
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov announced that the search for Prigozhin had ceased, and that he would be allowed to leave for sister Belarus under the guidance of President Putin.
