Lukashenko confirms Prigozhin has arrived in Belarus after armed rebellion

Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko confirmed that the head of the Wagner mercenary group, Yevgeny Prigozhin, has arrived in the country, where he must live in exile after the armed rebellion he led over the weekend in Russia. 

"He was provided with security guarantees, as (Russian President Vladimir Putin) promised yesterday. (...) Yes, in fact, today he is in Belarus," he said at a general's commissioning ceremony. 

The deal struck between the Kremlin and Prigozhin under Lukashenko's mediation to stop the riot the St Petersburg businessman led at the weekend provided for the dropping of the criminal charge of armed rebellion against Wagner's boss in exchange for his departure to Belarus. 

Putin also offered the mercenaries who rose up alongside Prigozhin to leave for neighbouring Belarus or sign a contract with the Russian Defence Ministry or other Russian security agencies to subordinate themselves to legal and official structures. 

Lukashenko suggested that the exile of Prigozhin and the mercenaries who join him may only be temporary. 

"As I promised, if you want to spend some time here (...), we will help you. Naturally, at your own expense," the Belarusian head of state said, according to the official BELTA news agency. 

Lukashenko suggested that he highly values the military capabilities of Russian mercenaries, agreeing with Belarusian Defence Minister Viktor Khrenin, who said he would not mind having such a unit in the army. 

"I agree. Talk to them," he told Jrenin. 

Lukashenko also denied that Belarus is building camps for Wagner's mercenaries, as reported the day before by a Russian investigative media. 

"We are not building any camps at the moment. But if they want (...) we will place them" in "abandoned military facilities" and they can "set up tents there", he said, referring to the mercenaries. 

He noted that the Wagnerites are still in their camps in the Ukrainian region of Lugansk, annexed by Russia in September 2022, and stressed that at least those who do not sign agreements with the defence ministry want to "go to their families" for a while after 16 months of fighting in Ukraine. 

He also stressed that Belarus is not going to open Wagner recruitment points. 

"We have no need to open Wagner recruiting points. I don't think we ever will (...) But those who want to serve (in the group) will find their way," he said. 

Lukashenko also assured that Russian mercenaries will not guard Russian tactical nuclear weapons stationed in Belarus. 

"The Poles and others think that Wagner is going to guard nuclear weapons. Wagner is not going to guard any nuclear weapons (...) This is our task. And, first of all, I am personally responsible for the security of the weapons. Therefore, we would never do it. We have enough people who can protect this facility together with the Russians," he stressed. 

"They will be protected by the Russians and the Belarusians. We will work together. We don't have that experience. The maintenance will be done by the Russians. We will help. It turns out that it is not an easy task," he insisted. 

He added that "a large part" of the tactical nuclear weapons to be deployed in Belarus are already on its territory.