Lukashenka told how he managed to contact Prigozhin

President of Belarus Alexander Lukashenko was able to contact the founder of Wagner PMC Yevgeny Prigozhin during the armed rebellion mediated by Russia by installing three channels. The Belarusian leader spoke about this after the ceremony of presenting epaulettes to the highest officers.

According to the President of Belarus, from a conversation with Russian leader Vladimir Putin, he understood that a “cruel decision” had been made against PMCs <...> – wet. Lukashenko urged Putin to take his time and offered to talk to Prigozhin and the Wagner commanders, to which Putin replied that it was useless, since the founder of the PMC “does not want to talk to anyone.”

“I say: “Okay. A bad peace is better than any war. Do not rush. I’ll try to contact him.” <...> I say: “How can I contact him? Give me the phone.” He says: “Most likely, the FSB has a telephone.” We have clarified. By the middle of the day, we installed as many as three channels through which we can talk with Rostov, ”Lukashenko retold the conversation with Russian President Vladimir Putin (quote according to BelTA).

June 24 “Wagner” took control of military facilities in Rostov-on-Don and blockaded the city. PMC fighters, led by the company’s founder Yevgeny Prigozhin, moved from the special operation zone towards Moscow on June 23 after Prigozhin accused the Ministry of Defense of attacking the company’s rear camps. The military department denied the information, calling the message a provocation.

On the same day, Putin spoke with an appeal in connection with the situation with the Wagner PMC. He called what was happening “apostasy from his people, from comrades in arms”, “a stab in the back” to the country and “internal betrayal”. The Russian leader stressed that the actions against the organizers of the military rebellion will be tough, they will suffer “inevitable punishment.”

According to the founder of the PMC, “Wagner” did not reach 200 km from Moscow. On the evening of June 24, after negotiations with Lukashenka, Prigozhin announced that he had decided to stop the movement towards Moscow and return to the rear camps of PMCs.

Press Secretary of the President of the Russian Federation Dmitry Peskov explainedthat, as a result of the negotiations, an agreement was reached: the criminal case initiated against Prigozhin would be terminated, and he himself would “leave for Belarus.” Wagner fighters and commanders will be able to conclude contracts with the Ministry of Defense and other law enforcement agencies, or, if they make such a decision, go to Belarus, Putin specified the day before.

On June 26, Russian President Vladimir Putin thanked Lukashenka for his efforts and contribution to the peaceful resolution of the situation.