Belarusian President, Alexander Lukashenko says Russian mercenary leader, Yevgeny Prigozhin is no longer in Belarus.
Only last month, Mr Lukashenko, who enjoys close ties to Russian President, Vladimir Putin and the Wagner chief, brokered a deal to end an armed mutiny that threatened to degenerate into civil war.
The Belorusian leader had said on June 27 that Mr Prigozhin, whose fighters briefly captured the southern Russian city of Rostov and marched towards the capital, Moscow, had arrived in Belarus as part of the deal that defused the crisis three days earlier.
But on Thursday, Mr Lukashenko said he thought Mr Prigozhin was now either in St. Petersburg, Russia’s second city, or may have moved on to Moscow.
“He is not on the territory of Belarus,” Mr Lukashenko told reporters in Minsk.
He also said the question of Wagner units relocating to Belarus had not been resolved, and would depend on decisions by Russia and by Wagner.
The Belorusian President said he had agreed to meet Mr Putin in the near future and would discuss the Prigozhin situation with him.
Prigozhin is “absolutely free” and Putin will not “wipe him out”, Mr Lukashenko added.
On Wednesday, Russian state TV launched a fierce attack on Mr Prigozhin, saying an investigation into what had happened was still being “vigorously pursued”.
Analysts say Mr Lukashenko’s latest comments bring to the fore the huge uncertainties surrounding the terms and implementation of the deal that ended the mutiny, which President Putin said could have plunged Russia into civil war.
A Reuters report, citing flight tracking data, referred to a business jet linked to the Wagner boss which left St Petersburg for Moscow on Wednesday, and was heading for southern Russia on Thursday, but stressed that it was unclear if he was on board.
