The President of Belarus helped to resolve the situation with PMC Wagner

Details of tense negotiations

The past weekend turned out to be very eventful and difficult for the President of Belarus. The Head of our State again acted as a peacemaker and actually saved Russia from an armed mutiny, the consequences of which could seriously affect security in the region. By agreement with his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin, the Belarusian leader entered into negotiations with PMC Wagner founder Yevgeny Prigozhin and settled the conflict. On Saturday evening, the press service of the Belarusian Head of State reported, 

“The negotiations lasted for the entire day. As a result, the sides agreed that it is unacceptable to start a bloodbath in Russia’s territory. Yevgeny Prigozhin accepted Aleksandr Lukashenko’s proposal on stopping the advance of Wagner’s armed units in Russia’s territory and on further steps meant to deescalate tensions. At present an absolutely advantageous and acceptable variant to defuse the situation is available, including safety guarantees for fighters of the private military company Wagner.”

June 24th. On the streets of Rostov-on-Don. REUTERS

This is how the conflict unfolded

The past weekend turned out to be not just difficult, but fateful for Russia. The founder of PMC Wagner, Yevgeny Prigozhin, the man who was largely responsible for the liberation of Popasnaya, Soledar and Artemovsk in the Donbass, attempted an armed mutiny. On the night of June 24th, Wagnerites captured the headquarters of the Southern Military District in Rostov-on-Don, then PMC fighters moved towards Moscow through the Voronezh and Lipetsk Regions ...
On the evening of June 23rd, several audio recordings were published on the Telegram channel of PMC Wagner founder Yevgeny Prigozhin. In particular, he stated that PMC Wagner units were allegedly hit. Prigozhin blamed the attack on Russia’s military leadership.
On the night of June 24th, the Wagnerites captured the headquarters of the Southern Military District in Rostov-on-Don. There were groups of armed people in the city, checkpoints were set up at the entrances and exits. PMC fighters moved towards Moscow. In particular, PMC Wagner equipment was seen in the Voronezh and Lipetsk Regions.
On the territory of Moscow, the Moscow and Voronezh Regions, a counter-terrorist operation regime was introduced. Mayor of Moscow Sergei Sobyanin said that all public events in the capital have been cancelled. In St. Petersburg on Zolotaya Street, the building of the PMC Wagner Centre was cordoned off by law enforcement officers.

Actions of the Russian Defence Ministry

The Russian Defence Ministry called false information about the attack on the rear camps of PMC Wagner. 
“All messages and video footage distributed on social networks on behalf of Prigozhin about the alleged strike by the Russian Defence Ministry on the rear camps of PMC Wagner do not correspond to reality and are an informational provocation,” the ministry said. They added that the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation continue to carry out combat missions on the line of contact with the armed forces of Ukraine in the area of the special military operation.
The Defence Ministry also urged PMC Wagner representatives to be prudent and get in touch with representatives of the department or law enforcement agencies. A little later, the Defence Ministry announced that they had already helped the PMC Wagner commanders and fighters who turned to the department to safely return to their permanent deployment points.
The Wagnerites were approached by Sergei Surovikin, second-in-command of the Russian joint armed force in the area of Russia’s special military operation. He urged the private military company Wagner to obey the order given by the Russian President and resolve all the disputes peacefully. His words are quoted by TASS, 

“I urge you to stop. The enemy is just waiting for the internal political situation to worsen in our country. It is impossible to play into the hands of the enemy in this difficult time for the country. Before it’s too late, it is necessary, and what needs to be done is to obey the will and order of the popularly elected President of the Russian Federation, stop the columns, return them to their permanent deployment points and areas of concentration, solve all problems only by peaceful means.”

Sergei Surovikin added that, by order of the leadership of the Defence Ministry, he arrived from the front line, where Russian fighters, including volunteers, fulfil tasks, “We have gone through a difficult, complex path together with you, we fought together, took risks, suffered losses, we won together. We are of the same blood, we are warriors.”
Russia’s Federal Security Service opened a criminal case on the fact of Prigozhin’s call for an armed mutiny. The department stressed that all the allegations spread on behalf of the founder of the PMC have no basis. The FSB also called on PMC Wagner fighters to disobey Prigozhin’s orders and take steps to detain him.

Reaction of the President of Russia Vladimir Putin

On the evening of June 23rd, Russia President’s Press Secretary Dmitry Peskov said that the President of Russia Vladimir Putin had been informed of all the events around Prigozhin, and the necessary measures were being taken. Later, Peskov said that the Defence Ministry, the FSB, the Ministry of Internal Affairs, the National Guard of the Russian Federation reported to Putin around the clock on the measures taken after the instructions given by the Head of State in connection with an attempted armed rebellion.
On the morning of June 24th, Russian leader Vladimir Putin addressed the citizens of Russia amid the situation with PMC Wagner. Vladimir Putin stated that the Russian leadership will not allow a repeat of the civil war in the country.
The President of the Russian Federation stated that Russia today is waging a hard struggle for its future, repelling the aggression of neo-Nazis and their masters, and virtually the entire military, economic and information machine of the West is directed against Russia, 

“This battle, when the fate of our people is being decided, requires unity of all forces, unity, consolidation and responsibility, when everything that weakens us must be thrown aside, any strife that our external enemies can use and used to undermine us from within.
 And therefore, the actions that split our unity are, in fact, apostasy from our people, from our comrades-in-arms who are now fighting at the front, this is a stab in the back to our country and our people.

 It was such a blow that was dealt to Russia in 1917, when the country was waging the World War I. But the victory was stolen from it. Intrigues, squabbles, politicking behind the backs of the army and the people turned into the greatest shock, the destruction of the army and the collapse of the state, the loss of vast territories, as a result, the tragedy of the Civil War: Russians killed Russians, brothers — brothers, and all sorts of political adventurers and foreign forces extracted selfish benefits who divided the country, tore it apart. We will not let this happen again, we will protect both our people and our statehood from any threats, including from internal betrayal, and what we are faced with is precisely betrayal.”
Vladimir Putin called the actions of the leadership of PMC Wagner a betrayal of the country, 

“Exorbitant ambitions and personal interests led to treason, both to the country and people, and the cause for which, side by side with our other units and subunits, the fighters and commanders of PMC Wagner fought. The heroes who liberated Soledar and Artemovsk, the cities and towns of Donbass, fought and gave their lives for Novorossia and the unity of the Russian world. Their name and glory were also betrayed by those who are trying to organise a mutiny, pushing the country to anarchy and fratricide, to defeat and, ultimately, to capitulation. I repeat: any internal unrest is a deadly threat to our statehood.”

Vladimir Putin warned, “Action against such a threat would be tough. All those who deliberately embarked on the path of betrayal, who prepared an armed mutiny, embarked on the path of blackmail and terrorist methods, will suffer inevitable punishment. They will answer both before the law and before our people. The armed forces and other state bodies received the necessary orders. Additional antiterrorist measures are now being introduced in Moscow, the Moscow Region and a number of other regions. Resolute actions will also be taken to stabilise the situation in Rostov-on-Don: it remains difficult, the work of civil and military authorities is actually blocked. As President of Russia, as Supreme Commander-in-Chief, as a citizen of Russia, I will do everything to defend the country, protect the constitutional order, life and security, and freedom of citizens. Those who organised and prepared a military mutiny, who raised arms against their comrades-in-arms, have betrayed Russia and will be held accountable for this. And I urge those who are being drawn into this crime not to make a fatal, tragic and irreparable mistake, to make the only right choice — to stop participating in criminal acts.”

Help from the President of Belarus

The Head of the Belarusian State had an intense Saturday, which included conferences with officers of defence, security,
and law enforcement agencies, contacts with President of Russia Vladimir Putin, and negotiations with Yevgeny Prigozhin. The negotiations lasted for an entire day and ways to defuse the situation were finally found.
On the morning of June 24th, a telephone conversation took place between the Presidents of Belarus and Russia. The Heads of State agreed on joint actions. After that, Aleksandr Lukashenko held talks with Yevgeny Prigozhin.
“This morning Russian President Vladimir Putin briefed his Belarusian counterpart on the situation in southern Russia with the private military company Wagner. The Heads of State agreed on joint actions. In further development of the agreements, the President of Belarus, having additionally specified the situation through his own channels, and in agreement with the President of Russia, held talks with the head of PMC Wagner Yevgeny Prigozhin,” the Belarus President’s press service said.
Negotiations lasted throughout the day, as a result of which they came to agreements ‘on the inadmissibility of unleashing a bloodbath’ on the territory of Russia. 

"Yevgeny Prigozhin accepted the proposal of the President of Belarus Aleksandr Lukashenko on stopping the advance of Wagner’s armed units in Russia’s territory and on further steps meant to deescalate tensions. At present an absolutely advantageous and acceptable variant to defuse the situation is available, including safety guarantees for fighters of the private military company Wagner,” the Belarus President’s press service said.

Another telephone conversation between Aleksandr Lukashenko and Vladimir Putin took place in the evening. The President of Belarus informed the Russian leader in detail about the results of negotiations with the leadership of PMC Wagner. The President of Russia thanked his Belarusian counterpart for the work done.
Shortly after the announcement of Aleksandr 
Lukashenko’s participation in resolving the situation, news appeared that the PMC Wagner columns were turning around and leaving in the opposite direction. 
“Understanding all the responsibility for the fact that Russian blood will be shed on one of the sides, we deploy our columns and leave in the opposite direction to the field camps according to the plan,” the boss of PMC Wagner said.
Late on the evening of June 24th, RIA Novosti reported that PMC Wagner fighters began to prepare to withdraw from the headquarters of the Southern Military District. “Ammunition is being loaded into vehicles, tanks are being fired up, perhaps they are getting ready to load vehicles onto trawls. The fighters withdraw from their positions and take an active part in the training camp without commenting on their actions,” the agency said.
Toward nightfall, the governor of the Rostov Region, Vasily Golubev, said that the convoy with equipment, as well as PMC Wagner fighters, had left the territory of Rostov-on-Don. On Sunday, the same messages came from the Lipetsk and Voronezh Regions.

What Dmitry Peskov told reporters

The Russian President’s press secretary Dmitry Peskov stated that the mediation efforts exercised by Belarus President Aleksandr Lukashenko had been made for a higher cause — to avoid bloodshed. Dmitry Peskov stressed that Moscow highly appreciates the contribution of Belarus President Aleksandr Lukashenko to the resolution of the conflict.
The mediation of Minsk in the situation with PMC Wagner, added Dmitry Peskov, was the initiative of the Belarusian leader, 

“The two Presidents did indeed agree that President Lukashenko would mediate efforts to resolve the situation. You will surely ask me why President Lukashenko in particular. The fact is that Aleksandr Grigoryevich has been personally acquainted with Prigozhin for about 20 years, and this was his personal initiative proposal, which was agreed with President Putin.”

Dmitry Peskov, in addition, clarified that the criminal case against the head of PMC Yevgeny Prigozhin would be dropped, the head of PMC Wagner himself would go to Belarus. As emphasised in the Kremlin, the guarantee that Prigozhin will be able to do this is the word of the President of Russia.

HOWEVER
The President of Belarus, Aleksandr Lukashenko, held telephone conversations with President of Russia Vladimir Putin and the first President of 
Kazakhstan Nursultan Nazarbayev on June 25th.
In the morning Aleksandr Lukashenko spoke on the phone with his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin. In the afternoon, a telephone conversation took place with Nursultan Nazarbayev. They discussed the international situation, the situation 
in the region and Belarus–Kazakhstan relations. 

Based on materials of BELTA