Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko held a press conference on Thursday, saying that Wagner mercenary group leader Yevgeny Prigozhin was back in Russia despite being exiled after a failed mutiny.
The remark comes as Prigozhin has been seen in public since June 24, suggesting that the Wagner chief appears in a decidedly perilous limbo. Lukashenko has distanced himself from Prigozhin after saying that neither the Wagner chief nor his mercenaries were in Belarus. It was unclear whether or not they move to the region.
Lukashenko Says Prigozhin is in Russia
In a statement, Lukashenko said that Prigozhin's location needed to be set, initially saying that the Wagner leader was in St. Petersburg, then saying that he could travel to Moscow or somewhere else the following day. However, what he did acknowledge was that Prigozhin was not in Belarus.
After the Belarusian president was said to have brokered a deal to end Prigozhin's rebellion in Russia that was conducted last month, Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov said that the deal was a result of the Lukashenko and Prigozhin knowing each other personally for roughly two decades, as per CNN.
But Lukashenko later disputed that claim, saying that Russian President Vladimir Putin was Prigozhin's longtime friend. He said that the Russian strongman knew the Wagner chief much better than he did, being acquainted with him for the past 30 years.
Neither of the two leaders seemed fond of becoming Prigozhin's best friend following the Wagner chief's failed rebellion against Russia's military leadership. One of the last final straws for Prigozhin's long-standing tensions with Russia's Defense Ministry was when officials insisted the group's soldiers should sign contracts with the country's government.
While Prigozhin refused the demand, Lukashenko on Thursday insisted that if Wagner came to Belarus, the group's soldiers would be required to sign documents with the Belarusian government.
On the other hand, a Pentagon official who spoke anonymously later confirmed that Prigozhin had been in Russia, between Moscow and St. Petersburg, for most of the time following the failed rebellion, according to the New York Times.
Wagner's Failed Rebellion
Lukashenko's recent remarks regarding the whereabouts of Wagner mercenaries caused further confusion regarding the aftermath of what most considered the most dramatic challenge to Putin's authority throughout his 23-year leadership.
Despite the Belarusian president's remarks, the Kremlin refused to comment, saying on Thursday that it was unaware of where exactly Prigozhin is. Peskov said they were not following the Wagner leader's movements, saying they did not have the ability or desire to do so.
While Prigozhin has been seen in public for several weeks, he spoke on Monday on Telegram, a messaging app. It was the second time he spoke since the Wagner mercenary group's failed rebellion, including Prigozhin expressing his gratitude to his supporters inside Russia.
The situation suggests that Prigozhin can move freely around Russia, indicating that he has some level of leverage in the nation. A Russian defense official, who spoke anonymously, said it did not seem that the Wagner leader was fearful for his life, said The Guardian.
