Steph Deschamps / June 26, 2023
The Belarusian president said he had negotiated with Wagner's leader on Saturday to halt the paramilitary group's troop movements in Russia and avoid any further escalation.
In a message posted on Telegram early this evening, Yevgeny Prigozhin said he had "accepted [Belarusian] President Alexander Lukashenko's offer to halt the movements of Wagner's gunmen on Russian territory and to take other measures to defuse tensions ».
Prigojine announced that his men were "returning" to their camps to avoid a bloodbath. According to Prigozhin, mediation by the Belarusian president, who is close to the Kremlin, lasted all day. According to Yevgeny Prigozhin, it resulted in "an absolutely favorable and acceptable option", including "security guarantees for the Wagner fighters ».
"Yevgeny Prigozhin has accepted Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko's proposal to halt the movements of armed men from the Wagner company and measures to de-escalate tensions," said Poul Pervogo, the unofficial Telegram channel of the Belarusian presidency.