Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko stated that he convinced Russian President Vladimir Putin not to "eliminate" Yevgeny Prigozhin, the leader of the Wagner private military group, in response to what the Kremlin described as a rebellion pushing Russia towards civil war. Initially, Putin pledged to crush the rebellion, likening it to the chaos of 1917, which led to the Bolshevik Revolution and subsequently, a civil war. However, hours later, an agreement was reached allowing Prigozhin and some of his fighters to go to Belarus. Prigozhin left for Belarus from Russia yesterday, Tuesday.
Referring to his dialogue with Putin on Saturday, Lukashenko used a colloquial Russian term meaning "elimination." Belarusian media reported Lukashenko saying in a meeting with military officials and journalists that, "I also understood that a hard decision was made (with Putin's message) to eliminate the rebels." He added, "I suggested to Putin not to rush. I said let's talk to Prigozhin, and with his leaders, to which he replied there was no point in this as (Prigozhin) does not even answer the phone and does not want to talk to anyone."
Putin used the same expression in 1999 when discussing Chechen militants, vowing to "eliminate them in the wilderness," a statement that became widely recognized to illustrate the severity of his character. There has been no comment from the Kremlin regarding Lukashenko's remarks, which provide a rare precise glimpse into conversations within the Kremlin at a time when Russia, according to Putin's own narrative, stands on the brink of unprecedented unrest.
Lukashenko, who has a long-standing acquaintance with Prigozhin and is also a close ally of Putin, advised the Russian president to think "beyond selfishness," warning that eliminating Prigozhin could lead to a widespread rebellion among his fighters. The Belarusian president noted that his military could benefit from the experience of Wagner troops who are now free to relocate to Belarus as per the agreement with the Kremlin.
