MINSK, June 27 President of Belarus Alexander Lukashenko said that camps for Wagner PMC fighters are not being built in the country, but they will help with accommodation if necessary.
«We are not building any camps yet. But if they want — as I understand it, they are looking at separate territories — we will place them. Put up tents, please. But for now they are in Luhansk in their camps,» Lukashenka quotes on Tuesday Sputnik Belarus agency.
He noted that on Monday he spoke by phone with the head of the PMC, Yevgeny Prigozhin, who said that a number of Wagner fighters plan to sign a contract with the Russian Defense Ministry. “But, he says, the most important thing is that my guys have not been at home for half a year — for a year. And it was important for me to agree with Putin (President of Russia — ed.) that he would not touch them. He promised, he keeps his promise. They want go to families. Well, for God's sake. Well done Putin, yesterday he said: «If someone does not want to sign a contract, fight there, and so on, it's good, you won back,» the head of state continued.
Lukashenka once again stressed that no camps are being built in Belarus for Wagner. «We offered them one of the abandoned parts. Please — there is a fence, everything is there. Set up tents. We will help in any way we can. Until they decide what to do with them,» he added.
At the same time, Lukashenka refuted informational stuffing that the visit of the head of the PMC «Wagner» to Belarus is «another mission on the instructions of the Kremlin» and the company allegedly intends to arrange a provocation before the NATO summit.
«So he (Prigozhin — ed.) is with us on the instructions of the Kremlin, during which he can arrange provocations against the upcoming NATO summit in Vilnius? No, we are not going to any provocations. But if we need there was a provocation, so I have thousands of military men in the western direction. Just give a command — they will organize any provocation,» Lukashenka stressed.
He added that «this is not necessary.» «Why do we need this provocation? What will it give? Well, we will scare them in Vilnius, and what? We will get a response. Therefore, there is no need,» the president said.