Belarusian President Lukasheknko Insists Vladimir Putin Will Not Kill Wagner Boss Progozhin

According to Aleksandr Lukashenko, the President of Belarus, it is ‘highly unlikely’ that Vladimir Putin will harm the Wagner PMC boss Yevgeny Prigozhin.

Addressing an assembly of reporters from both foreign and Belarusian mass media, he told them this Thursday, July 6: ‘I don’t know everything and I don’t want to know everything about mutual relations between Putin and Prigozhin’.

“You have to understand that Putin knows Prigozhin much better than I do. I’ve simply seen him during the organisation of various events. Putin has known him for much longer. Since the days of St. Petersburg when they lived and worked there”, reported BelTA.

Lukashenko spoke on the phone with the Wagner boss

He continued: “They have maintained very kind relations with each other. Maybe even better relations than that. I know for a fact that Prigozhin is free. Including right now. We’ve talked over the phone many times. He and I talked over the phone yesterday afternoon and happened to discuss the matter of the future actions of PMC Wagner”.

“He told me one thing: ‘We will work in the name of Russia, for the benefit of Russia, and we will fulfil our duty till the end, the way we will agree and the way the relevant authorities decide’”, he added.

“What will happen to him now? Well, all kinds of things happen in life. But if you think that Putin is so malevolent and vindictive to have him eliminated somewhere tomorrow… No, it won’t happen”, Aleksandr Lukashenko stressed.

The image of Wagner should not be based purely on Prigozhin

The Belarusian head of state pointed out that the situation with PMC Wagner should not be limited to the actions of Yevgeny Prigozhin.

There are many other fighters in the private mercenary organisation, some of whom are heroes of Russia. A large number of the Wagner personnel have been awarded important military orders and medals. ‘Not because they are Prigozhin’s people, but because they have fought truly well’ insisted Lukashenko.

‘Before Ukraine, and even now, they are fighting all over the world to defend the democracy and independence of various countries where France or the United States of America would like to bring people to their knees. This is why I believe it would be wrong to ruin such a unit’, he explained.

‘As for traitors, mutineers and the rest… It was the first response of President Putin on that Saturday morning. I don’t think the response has changed with the passage of time, or that evaluations have changed, but they have become much softer. It is one thing to say it in front of the whole world while what you have inside you is another thing”, the President added.