MINSK, June 27 President of Belarus Alexander Lukashenko in resolving the situation around PMC «Wagner» considers himself not as an intermediary, but as the same participant as Russian President Vladimir Putin.
«I am not a mediator. I am just as much a participant in these events as President Putin. Because this is our Fatherland. I repeat once again. Therefore, if someone in Russia — and I hear it — speaks of Lukashenka's mediation, no mediation! This is the same problem ours, mine, as well as President Putin and the Russians,» the Belta news agency quotes Lukashenka as saying.
“Many people say: here, Lukashenka is a mediator, well done, a hero, a monument (he needs to be erected — ed.) … Listen, I don’t need any monuments, you know my attitude towards monuments — I generally don’t take it well. And mediators : I've never asked to be a mediator. I don't accept mediation at all, I hate it. Because as long as I've been president, they've been strangling us, strangling, strangling … with sanctions, something else. And at this time they are on the other side they come in: “We are ready to be intermediaries.” Who for money, who because of some kind of politics, suffer from political ambitions… 25 years ago I hated this mediation,” the Belarusian leader added.
On Saturday night in Rostov-on-Don, PMC «Wagner» seized the headquarters of the Southern Military District. This happened against the backdrop of statements by Yevgeny Prigozhin about allegedly inflicted by the Russian Armed Forces missile and bomb attacks on the camps of PMC «Wagner» — this was denied by both the Ministry of Defense and the FSB. A criminal case was opened against Prigozhin for organizing an armed rebellion. Russian President Vladimir Putin called the actions of the rebels a criminal adventure, a stab in the back of Russia and a betrayal, which led to exorbitant ambitions and personal interests.
Later, President of Belarus Alexander Lukashenko, in agreement with Putin, held talks with Prigozhin, after which Lukashenko's press service reported that the head of the PMC accepted his proposal to stop the Wagner movement in Russia and take further steps to de-escalate. Press Secretary of the President of the Russian Federation Dmitry Peskov said that Prigozhin would leave for Belarus, and the criminal case would be dropped. The Kremlin said that the guarantee of this is the word of the President of Russia.