United States: Putin used Łukašenka for talks with Wagner chief

June 25, BPN. Russian President Vladimir Putin most likely did not want to humiliate himself by direct negotiations with the rebellious Wagner Group chief Yevgeny Prigozhin, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken has said.

“It was useful to get someone like [Alaksandr] Łukašenka into this on his behalf. But again, that is speculation. We want to avoid that,” BBC reported citing the official.

Prigozhin’s military revolt started on June 23 as Wagner units left the occupied parts of Ukraine and entered Russia in a “march of justice.” They passed through Russia’s Rostov-on-Don, Voronezh and the Lipetsk region before stopping within 200 km from Moscow.

Putin accused the mercenaries of treason and threatened them with “imminent punishment.”

On June 24, Łukašenka’s press office reported that he “held talks” with Prigozhin at Putin’s request. Later that day, the Wagner chief announced the return of his units to their bases to avoid bloodshed but did not mention Łukašenka’s involvement.

Prigozhin “will go to Belarus” and Russian authorities would drop criminal charges of armed mutiny against him, Kremlin’s spokesman Dmitry Peskov told journalists late on June 24. It remains unclear what the mercenaries’ chief will do in the Belarusian exile.