Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky on Friday ordered the security at his country’s border with Belarus to be tightened after the arrival of fighters from the mercenary group Wagner.
The rebel group fighters and its chief were offered an exile in Belarus after their mutiny against Russia was aborted last week. As a part of a deal, President Vladimir Putin gave the fighters a choice of signing contracts with the Russian defence ministry, returning to civilian life or going into exile in Belarus.
Zelensky, on Friday, said that he had been informed of the situation in Belarus by the Ukrainian intelligence service GUR, foreign intelligence services and border guards.
“By the decision of the Stavka (chief of staff), Commander-in-Chief (Valery) Zaluzhny and General (Sergey) Nayev were instructed to strengthen the northern direction in order to guarantee peace. There are appropriate deadlines,” the Ukraine leader said in a video posted on Telegram.
Wagner mutineers ‘can join army or go to Belarus’: Putin
Russian President Vladimir Putin, in a televised address to the nation late on Monday, said that he would honour his promise to allow Wagner fighters to relocate to Belarus, if they wanted, or to sign a contract with the Defence Ministry or simply return to their families.
“I thank those soldiers and commanders of the Wagner Group who made the only right decision – they did not turn to fratricidal bloodshed, they stopped at the last line. Today you have the opportunity to continue serving Russia by entering into a contract with the Ministry of Defence or other law enforcement agencies or to return to your family and friends. Whoever wants to can go to Belarus. The promise I made will be fulfilled.”
He then thanked the Wagner mercenary fighters and commanders who had stood down to avoid bloodshed.
“We knew and we know that the vast majority of the fighters and commanders of the Wagner Group are also Russian patriots, devoted to their people and state. They proved it with their courage on the battlefield, liberating the Donbas and Novorossiya. They tried to use them in the dark against their brothers-in-arms, with whom they fought together for the sake of the country and its future. Therefore, from the very beginning of the events, on my direct instructions, steps were taken to avoid a lot of bloodshed.”
Belarus leader Alexander Lukashenko offered Wagner chief Yevgeny Prigozhin refuge after he aborted the armed rebellion against Moscow a week ago.
(With inputs from agencies)
