Wagner in Belarus: Lukashenko’s plans for Prigozhin and thousands of mercenaries

What does Lukashenko want with Prigozhin and Wagner soldiers?

The Belarusian dictator presents himself as the angel of peace in the power struggle between Vladimir Putin and his mercenary chief. But is that it? About the potential calculus of Lukashenko.

Frank Nienhuysen

Publish date: 06/28/2023 20:46

Lukashenko paints a picture of an equitable state leader: housing camps for 8,000 men are supposed to be built southeast of Minsk – for Wagner’s troops.

Photo: Mikhail Svetlov (Getty Images)

Vladimir Putin is late. At half past nine in the morning he wanted to call Alexander Lukashenko, and that’s how they arranged it. When Putin called, it was 10:10 am. Even a dictator has to wait sometimes. Saturday morning was the day of the mutiny. Meanwhile he has Belarusian rulers He revealed unusually frankly what he discussed with Putin. He felt that the head of the Kremlin was in the mood to kill Yevgeny Prigozhin, which, in his words, was “a subtext in Putin’s guise.” Lukashenko asked the Russian president not to rush anything, and wanted to talk to Prigozhin himself first. Putin is said to have said, “Listen, Sasha, it doesn’t make sense,” Sasha being short for Alexander. “He doesn’t even pick up the phone, he doesn’t want to talk to anyone.”