The head of the Wagner group of Russian mercenaries, Yevgeny Prigozhin, “he will go to Belarus”announced today the Kremlin when commenting on the details of the agreement with the man who led during the last 24 hours a armed rebellion against the Russian military leadership.
“The criminal case that was opened to him will be closed and he (Prigozhin) will go to Belarus”said the spokesman for the Russian Presidency, Dmitri Peskov.
Peskov, quoted by the TASS agency, added that the other “wagnerites” who took part in the riot due to their “merits at the front”.
Meanwhile, fighters who did not rebel will be able to sign contracts with the Defense Ministry, he said.
As for the guarantees that Prigozhin will be able to leave Russia and reach Belarus, Peskov assured that these consist of “the word of the president” Vladimir Putin.
“If you ask me what is the guarantee that Prigozhin will be able to go to Belarus, that is the word of the president”assured the Kremlin spokesman to the Russian media.
Wagner’s chief announced hours ago the return of his combatants to the permanent bases to “avoid bloodshed” in Russia.
“The time has come when blood can be shed. Therefore, realizing full responsibility for spilling Russian blood on one side, our columns turn around and return to our bases according to plan.” he stated in an audio message on his Telegram channel.
Prigozhin said that the Russian military elites, against whom he had rebelled, “they wanted to disintegrate Wagner”and explained that for this reason he announced the “March for Justice”during which, in 24 hours, it advanced to within 200 kilometers of Moscow after taking the southern city of Rostov-on-Don.
The head of the Wagner Group made this announcement after the press service of the President of Belarus, Alexandr Lukashneko, stated that the president had mediated between Moscow and Prigozhin, with the permission of the Russian head of state, Vladimir Putin.
According to the Kremlin, it was a “personal initiative” from Lukashenko, who has known Prigozhin for 20 years.
According to the Belarusian press, Putin and Lukashenko spoke by phone again on Saturday night and the Kremlin chief thanked his Belarusian counterpart for negotiating with the Wagner leader.
“The Belarusian president informed the Russian president in detail about the outcome of the negotiations with the Wagner leadership” and Putin thanked him for “work done”, reported the Pul Pervogo channel, linked to the Belarusian Presidency.
In parallel, Wagner’s forces began to withdraw from Rostov-on-Don, which had taken “without a single shot.”
Pictures began to circulate on Russian social media of Prigozhin, who left the Russian army’s military headquarters in Rostov aboard a vehicle and was greeted like a star by locals with applause and handshakes.
Source: EFE
Source: Gestion
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