Russian mercenaries’ presence in Belarus threat to EU security – opposition leader

June 26, BPN. The presence of Wagner Group chief Yevgeny Prigozhin and his mercenaries in Belarus will be a threat both to Belarus and the European Union, Belarusian opposition leader Śviatłana Cichanoŭskaja has told Bloomberg TV.

“We can’t let this chaos in Russia spread to its neighbors,” she said. “We can’t let [Alaksandr] Łukašenka threaten Europe with nuclear weapons . . . Łukašenka’s regime has to be sanctioned as strong as possible.”

Any weakness of Vladimir Putin’s regime will open up opportunities for a new uprising in Belarus, the politician stressed.

Cichanoŭskaja praised her camp’s response to Prigozhin’s unexpected march through Russia on June 24, noting that “major groups and forces” joined an operational headquarters set up by her transition cabinet.

“Our goal is to get rid of Russian troops, to dismantle Łukašenka’s regime and ensure the transition to democracy,” she said. The opposition was ready to act even though the situation developed differently and another threat to Belarusian independence emerged after reports of Prigozhin’s exile to Belarus, Cichanoŭskaja noted.