Wagner boss Yevgeny Prigozhin has arrived in his country, according to Belarus President Aleksandr Lukashenko. He said it during a speech. The Kremlin previously announced that Prigozhin would move to Belarus in a deal that ended last weekend’s mutiny. However, the question is whether Prigozhin will actually be acquitted of all charges.
“The statement of the FSB security service says nothing about this,” says Russia correspondent Joost Bosman. According to business daily Kommersant, sources within the Russian prosecutor’s office said the investigation into him would continue. The Kremlin previously said Prigozhin would be spared. “It’s not very clear.”
Putin’s ukaze
Last weekend’s mutiny was based on, among other things, an ekaze or edict from President Putin. It prescribed that all private armies should be added to the Russian army. Prigozhin refused to do this. Surprisingly, the Russian National Guard has now asked for heavy equipment and tanks. “It looks like Wagner’s duties in Russia and Ukraine will be taken over by this guard,” says Bosman.
“Russia cannot afford to lose Wagner, especially abroad.”
Russia needs Wagner
Sergei Lavrov, Russian Foreign Minister, said today that Wagner will continue to be active in some African countries such as Mali. Logical, thinks Bosman. «Russia cannot afford to lose Wagner, especially abroad. They have contracts there to extract oil, gas and diamonds. He is still too precious.’
Today, Russian Defense Minister Shoygu also received a certificate from President Putin for putting down the mutiny. A sign of mutual trust. But Putin could not do much else. Prigozhin was guilty of mutiny, in Putin’s eyes the worst there is. So he had no choice but to choose Shoygoe.’
In his short speech, the Russian leader said that the military prevented the civil war. According to Bosman, a sign of the tactics going on inside the Kremlin. “They want to show that everything is going well, that Russia is a mature country and has been able to resist”.
Poland concerned
The move of the Wagner paramilitary group to Belarus is bad news for Poland, according to Polish President Andrzej Duda. He hopes NATO will strengthen its presence on the eastern flank in response to the arrival of Russian mercenaries. Duda is speaking today in the Netherlands with Prime Minister Mark Rutte, NATO chief Jens Stoltenberg and a number of other leaders in preparation for the NATO summit in Vilnius in two weeks time.
Source: BNR
Sharon Rock is an author and journalist who writes for 24 News Globe. She has a passion for learning about different cultures and understanding the complexities of the world. With a talent for explaining complex global issues in an accessible and engaging way, Sharon has become a respected voice in the field of world news journalism.
