Belarus President Tells How He Convinced Boss Wagner to Stop Rebellion

President Lukashenko said he had made a series of phone calls and warnings to persuade Wagner to stop the rebellion and help stabilize the situation in Russia.

"He was under pressure, under the influence of the commander of the assault units (in Ukraine) and had to see the deaths of his members," Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko said on June 27, recounting the process of him mediating to bring Wagner boss Yevgeny Prigozhin to a halt to the rebellion in Russia last weekend.

On June 24, Prigozhin led thousands of fighters from the Ukrainian battlefield back to Russia to "demand justice", after accusing the Russian Defense Ministry of airstrikes targeting their barracks, causing many deaths. The Russian Defense Ministry denied the accusation.

President Lukashenko described Prigozhin as a "hero" but was shaken by the deaths of many Wagner members in Ukraine and the Wagner boss's arrival in Rostov-on-Don, the capital of Rostov region, in a "semi-crazy" state. Prigozhin then decided to march on the capital Moscow.

The Belarusian leader said he had a phone call with President Vladimir Putin at 10am on June 24 to discuss unrest in southern Russia.

"The most dangerous thing, as I understand it, is not the situation at that time, but the subsequent developments and the consequences. A drastic decision could be taken to destroy. I advise Mr. Putin not to rush. Talk to Prigozhin, to his commanders," Mr. Lukashenko recalled.

Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko speaks in Minsk on June 27. Photo: AFP — Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko speaks in Minsk on June 27. Photo: *AFP*

President Putin said Prigozhin would not answer the phone, so Mr Lukashenko sought contacts who could contact the Wagner boss. "By noon on June 24, we had established three possible communication channels in Rostov," Mr Lukashenko said.

The Belarusian leader said he called Prigozhin at 11am and that Wagner "immediately picked up". He spent hours trying to reason with Prigozhin, who was furious at the "rottenness and incompetence" of Russia's military leaders. He described the call as containing "10 times" more profanity than usual.

"'We want justice! They want to strangle us! We will go to Moscow!'" Mr Lukashenko quoted Prigozhin as saying. "I replied, 'You will be crushed like a bug halfway there'."

The Belarusian president also warned that he would not mediate negotiations if civilians were killed. He assured Wagner and his group members of their safety if they stopped the rebellion. Mr Lukashenko said Wagner called back around 5pm and agreed to the terms.

Wagner boss Yevgeny Prigozhin leaves the headquarters of the Southern Military District in Rostov-on-Don, Russia on June 24. Photo: AFP — Wagner boss Yevgeny Prigozhin leaves the headquarters of the Southern Military District in Rostov-on-Don, Russia on June 24. Photo: *AFP*

On the evening of June 24, Prigozhin ordered Wagner troops advancing on Moscow to return to their barracks to “avoid bloodshed.” Wagner forces quickly withdrew from Rostov-on-Don and Voronezh. The Kremlin later announced that Prigozhin would travel to Belarus and would not prosecute him or the Wagner rebels. Wagner fighters could follow their boss, sign contracts with the Russian Defense Ministry, or simply go home.

Wagner spoke out for the first time since the uprising on June 26, saying their activities on June 24 were "protests, not aimed at overthrowing the government", but wanted Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu and Chief of the General Staff of the Russian Armed Forces Valery Gerasimov to be dismissed.

“No one responded to his demands to Shoigu or Gerasimov,” Mr Lukashenko said, describing how he responded to Prigozhin, warning the Wagner boss that Moscow was protected and that continuing the rebellion would only plunge Russia into chaos.

President Lukashenko confirmed on June 27 that Prigozhin was in Belarus, saying Minsk would benefit from Wagner’s combat experience. Belarus’s leadership has insisted that it will not build barracks for Wagner, but will provide accommodation if they want it and has offered an abandoned military base. Belarus also has no intention of allowing Wagner to open a recruitment center in the country.

Russian officials and Wagner have not commented on the information.

Nhu Tam (According to Reuters, AFP, CNN )

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