Putin thanks Lukashenko for agreement with Prigozhin – Lukashenko's press office
On Saturday evening, Russian President Vladimir Putin and self-proclaimed Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko spoke by phone again, with Putin thanking Lukashenko for his role in negotiations with Wagner Group leader Yevgeny Prigozhin.
Source: state inform agency BELTA citing Lukashenko’s press office
Quote: "The President of Belarus informed the President of Russia in detail about the results of the negotiations with the Wagner Group leader. The President of Russia supported and thanked his Belarusian colleague for the work done."
Details: The press office clarified that the conversation took place at 21:00.
Earlier: On Saturday evening, the press service of the self-proclaimed president of Belarus said that Alexander Lukashenko held talks with the leader of the Wagner Private Military Company Yevgeny Prigozhin, and the latter allegedly accepted a proposal to stop the movement of his mercenaries in Russia.
"At the moment, there is an absolutely profitable and acceptable option on the table for resolving the situation, with security guarantees for Wagner PMC fighters," the message reads.
Thereafter, Yevgeny Prigozhin, the leader of the Wagner Group, said that his mercenaries are turning their convoys around and going in the opposite direction to set up field camps.
Background:
- On the evening of 23 June, Wagner Group leader Yevgeny Prigozhin claimed that the regular Russian army had launched a missile strike on the Wagner mercenaries’ rear camps. He has therefore deployed 25,000 of his mercenaries "to restore justice".
- On the morning of 24 June, Prigozhin claimed that his forces had taken control of military facilities in Rostov-on-Don, including the air base, and were heading "to Moscow" and that his soldiers had shot down three Russian helicopters. Wagner mercenaries have also seized military facilities in the Russian city of Voronezh.
- In an emergency address on 24 June, Russian President Vladimir Putin said that Russia is "fighting for survival" and that attempts are being made to "organise a rebellion" in the country.
- Russian media reported that the Office of the President of the Russian Federation anticipates that Yevgeny Prigozhin’s Wagner Group fighters will likely reach Moscow’s outskirts in the next few hours, with fighting expected near Russia’s capital. Ukrainian intelligence has information that Putin has urgently left Moscow for his residence in Valdai.
- A convoy of Wagner Group forces was spotted only 400 kilometres away from Moscow.
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