{"id":92890,"date":"2024-06-27T10:26:31","date_gmt":"2024-06-27T07:26:31","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/pozirk.online\/en\/longreads\/92890\/"},"modified":"2026-04-15T13:35:32","modified_gmt":"2026-04-15T13:35:32","slug":"with-wagner-troops-out-of-belarus-lukasenka-finds-new-ways-to-threaten-west","status":"publish","type":"longreads","link":"https:\/\/pozirk.online\/en\/longreads\/92890\/","title":{"rendered":"With Wagner troops out of Belarus, \u0141uka\u0161enka finds new ways to threaten West"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

A year ago, Alaksandar \u0141uka\u0161enka boasted of saving Russia from bloody chaos. He claimed to have ironed out the differences between Yevgeny Prigozhin, whose troops were marching on Moscow, and Russian President Vladimir Putin.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

\n\n \"\"\n
\n
\n\n A Wagner Group instructor training Belarusian special operation forces at an internal troops training camp in January \n <\/div>\n \n
\n (Telegram channel of the Internal Troops)<\/span>\n <\/div>\n <\/figcaption>\n<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

In one of his public appearances, \u0141uka\u0161enka recalled his telephone conversation with Putin on June 24, 2023.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

“Let’s talk to Prigozhin, to his commanders,\u201d he quoted himself as saying to the Russian president. \u201cAnd he [Putin] said to me: ‘Listen, Sasha [Alaksandar], it’s useless. He doesn’t even answer the phone, he wouldn\u2019t talk to anyone.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u0141uka\u0161enka’s glorious story<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

\u0141uka\u0161enka claimed that Prigozhin would not talk to Putin, but was willing to negotiate with him.

The same evening, a Belarusian state media outlet reported that Prigozhin had accepted \u0141uka\u0161enka’s proposal “to stop the movement of Wagner’s armed men in Russia and to take further steps to de-escalate tension.”

A few days later, \u0141uka\u0161enka held a news conference to describe his historic role in saving Russia.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Predictably, the Kremlin was furious, so \u0141uka\u0161enka stopped boasting and talked more about the combat experience of Wagner mercenaries invited to Belarus.

Moscow did not deny \u0141uka\u0161enka’s involvement as the Prigozhin talks unfolded it became obvious that the Kremlin simply used the Belarusian vassal to sell him the toxic asset as soon as possible.

A month later in St Petersburg, \u0141uka\u0161enka echoed Putin\u2019s concerns about Polish support for Ukraine and threatened to unleash Wagner mercenaries against Poland.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Belarusian ruler said that Wagner men had started to annoy him “by threatening to go for an “excursion” to Warsaw and Rzesz\u00f3w, a major hub for the transfer of Western weapons to Kyiv.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Conspiracy theories<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

The rebellion gave rise to wild conspiracy theories.

Some said it was a cover-up for a cunning plan by Putin to move Wagner troops to Belarus and attack Ukraine from the north.

However, a few thousand militants were not enough for an offensive. Even if more or less combat-ready Belarusian troops fought alongside, they would not be able to break through the Ukrainian minefields and fortifications, and would simply be crushed in no time. Not to mention that \u0141uka\u0161enka’s troops are not eager to fight, and he himself is reluctant to step into the fray.

Finally, even if there were such a plan, why would the Kremlin stage the show with the Wagner advance on Moscow, shooting down Russian helicopters and killing pilots, instead of simply sending a group of mercenaries to Belarus?

Some went as far as to assume that Lukashenka had taken advantage of the turmoil to take control of the powerful rebel force to attack Russia.

Meanwhile, others measured the distance from the rebel’s camp to \u0141uka\u0161enka’s residence and said that Prigozhin\u2019s men had been sent to Belarus to stick a knife in the back of the Belarusian ruler.

But these fantasies soon turned to dust when Prigozhin and Wagner co-founder Dmitry Utkin died in a plane crush. Hardly anyone bought the story that they blew themselves up with a grenade on the plane.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Most observers are convinced that the Kremlin carried out a cold-blooded assassination. Having sent the rebels to Belarus, it waited for the right moment to avenge their leader.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Karpianko\u016d hires Wagner fighters<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Putin learnt from his mistakes and eliminated the threat. The attempt to throw down the gauntlet to the tsar ended sadly for Prigozhin.

\u0141uka\u0161enka, on the other hand, has never allowed his law enforcers to stick their noses into politics. “Don’t you even think of high matters. Leave it to politicians. You have clear and understandable tasks,” he said a year ago.

Meanwhile, Mikalai Karpianko\u016d, commander of the Internal Troops, hired Wagner fighters to train his commandos and promoted Wagner and its symbols in every possible way.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\n\n \"\"\n
\n
\n\n General Karpianko\u016d at last year\u2019s graduation ceremony involving Wagner instructors\n <\/div>\n \n
\n (Telegram channel of the Internal Troops)<\/span>\n <\/div>\n <\/figcaption>\n<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

The overtly pro-Russian general seemed to have political ambitions and could become a tool of the Kremlin to overthrow \u0141uka\u0161enka. Some observers even called him a “Belarusian Prigozhin.”

\u0141uka\u0161enka on February 20 warned the general against wide publicity.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI always [warn] both the minister and some others here who are on the [TV] screens with Wagner troops almost every day: \u2018Ah, Wagner, ah, Wagner\u2019. Good boys, thank you for sharing with us your war experience,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cAs for the rest, our officers are just as good at everything else. They graduated from the same academies.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Since then, the general has stayed out of the media spotlight and stopped showing off Wagner chevrons and praising mercenaries.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u0141uka\u0161enka finds new ways to threaten West<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Despite fears, most Wagner fighters have left Belarus. Some were absorbed into the Russian army, while others were recruited for operations in Africa.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Dozens still work as instructors training Belarusian commandos. The Belarusian government could not afford to hire more.

\u0141uka\u0161enka had a bit of glory as a peacemaker and Russia\u2019s savior, but quickly gave up his PR campaign for fear of upsetting Putin.

Neither Warsaw, nor Rzesz\u00f3w, nor the Suwa\u0142ki Gap, nor Kyiv have been attacked by Wagner troops from Belarus. Their presence in Belarus diminished the country\u2019s already bad reputation in the eyes of its neighbors and NATO.

However, \u0141uka\u0161enka has nothing to lose. He will always find a way to threaten the West. Now that Wagner troops are gone, he can brandish nuclear weapons.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Also read: \u0141uka\u0161enka rules out unification with Russia, pro-Russian speakers fall out favor<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

A year ago, Alaksandar \u0141uka\u0161enka boasted of saving Russia from bloody chaos. He claimed to have ironed out the differences between Yevgeny Prigozhin, whose troops were marching on Moscow, and Russian President Vladimir Putin. In one of his public appearances, \u0141uka\u0161enka recalled his telephone conversation with Putin on June 24, 2023. “Let’s talk to Prigozhin, […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":87,"featured_media":66885,"template":"","rubric":[30,24],"class_list":["post-92890","longreads","type-longreads","status-publish","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","rubric-security","rubric-theviewer"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\nWith Wagner troops out of Belarus, \u0141uka\u0161enka finds new ways to threaten West | Pozirk<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"A year ago, Alaksandar \u0141uka\u0161enka boasted of saving Russia from bloody chaos. 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