What happened to Prigozhin? Is Putin behind it? Lukashenko responds to all fakes, rumors

Belarus President Aleksandr Lukashenko visited Belarusian State University on 25 August. After a lengthy conference about the future of the country's leading higher education institution the head of state met with reporters and answered key questions people had been dying to ask after the tragic accident that happened to the business jet of Yevgeny Prigozhin, the founder of the private military company (PMC) Wagner. BelTA summarized statements made by the president on the occasion.

What happened to Yevgeny Prigozhin's aircraft?

The head of state noted that he cannot answer this question because he had not been to the aircraft's crash site. But he cannot disprove anything with 100% certainty.

“I am only starting to think: a missile shot it down, an explosion happened on board… Do you know how a missile can shoot down an aircraft? Only the commander-in-chief can order the Aerospace Forces to do something. Then [the commanding officer of] a specific army unit will be ordered. And he will order a specific manning detail. Do you understand how many people get involved? What idiot would do it? Although I don't deny that I'll be damned if I know, some crazy people may have done it. But I don't believe it,” Aleksandr Lukashenko stated.

The president said: “The fact that the tail had been torn away has definitely been confirmed already. It means that an explosion on board was likely. I personally don't know who did it.”

Is Putin behind the attempt on Prigozhin's life?

Aleksandr Lukashenko gave a definite answer to this question: the Russian president cannot be behind it. Many are now trying to prove the contrary and saddle Vladimir Putin with the responsibility for everything. According to the Belarusian head of state, Vladimir Putin has absolutely nothing to do with it.

The president stressed: “I am not going to be the advocate even of my elder brother. But I know Putin. He is a calculating, very calm, and even sluggish person when he makes decisions on other, less important matters. This is why I cannot imagine that Putin did it, that Putin is guilty. It was too sloppy, unprofessional job for that matter. It doesn't look like Putin's. But whatever happened and however it happened, Putin will be blamed for it anyway. The system of government both in Belarus and Russia lays blame for any bad thing on the presidents. There is no need to look for a scapegoat. But I say that it was a sloppy, disgusting, abnormal job. And I am far from thinking that Putin did it, that he instructed someone to do it, that the government did it.”

Aleksandr Lukashenko noted that it would be genuine madness to order the destruction of the aircraft for a head of state and Vladimir Putin is not that kind of person.

“I know Putin. I know how scrupulous, careful, delicate he is. I don't believe he would do such a thing. And another point. It is madness for a head of state. He is no madman. I am far from calling him white and fluffy. He has a dirty job. I am not saying he is white and fluffy but I know that he will be blamed for everything. So it happens. The West has started shouting. Others started singing along that Putin is evil and vindictive. No matter how it happened, whatever happened, time will tell. Time will pass and we will learn everything. It is impossible to hide it nowadays. But what happened is disgusting. It is unacceptable for me. From another point of view as well: all of us are men, war is war, but what are the three pilots and the flight attendant guilty of? Half the people over there had nothing to do with this ‘march of justice'. This is why I don't understand it and don't accept it. It is unacceptable,” the Belarusian leader said.

What did Lukashenko promise to Prigozhin?

Aleksandr Lukashenko said: “If I had to answer this question directly, I'd say I am not supposed to ensure Prigozhin's security. That's the first point. The second point is that we have never spoken along these lines.”

The president remarked that two things had been discussed during negotiations with Yevgeny Prigozhin: the termination of criminal cases against PMC Wagner personnel and their extraction to Belarus. “I suggested it. I said: ‘If you are afraid of something, I will talk to President Putin and we will extract you to Belarus. We guarantee full security to you in Belarus.' And credit where credit is due, Yevgeny Prigozhin has never asked me to separately pay attention to security matters,” he stressed.

Aleksandr Lukashenko went on saying: “I will simply give you another example. The last time we flew to the UAE, I received some very serious information from deep sources. As deep as anything. About an attempt on the life of Yevgeny Prigozhin. I gave instructions and within two hours they found Russia's ambassador to the Emirates and summoned him to me. I handed over a coded telegram about the attempt on Prigozhin's life to him for delivery to Putin and Bortnikov in the Kremlin.”

Some time later Aleksandr Lukashenko asked Yevgeny Prigozhin whether he had received this information. The PMC Wagner founder confirmed that the Russian president had warned him about the assassination in the making.

In response to claims that the Belarus president had failed to deliver on the security guarantees he had promised to Yevgeny Prigozhin, Aleksandr Lukashenko responded calmly: “Well, they have to write something after all. In order to bite me and the rest. Not more than that. It is stupid. They said it yesterday and half of those, who read it, laughed right away. And a day later the other half thought: ‘What does Lukashenko have to do with it? How could he ensure Prigozhin's security in Africa?' Prigozhin was flying from Africa. And then he landed in Moscow and left for St. Petersburg. How could I ensure his security? This is why I am not the guy you should be asking to answer these questions. Moreover, we've never had this conversation. About ensuring security in someone else's territory.”

In its own territory the Belarusian side has honored all the promises to PMC Wagner personnel. And even did more than that, Aleksandr Lukashenko pointed out. He added: “They have no complaints. The KGB chief contacted them yesterday upon my instruction and handed over only one message to them from me: we will honor everything Prigozhin and I have agreed.”

Will PMC Wagner personnel stay in Belarus after what happened?

“PMC Wagner lived, PMC Wagner lives, and PMC Wagner will live in Belarus despite anyone's wishes to the contrary. Prigozhin and I came up with a system of how PMC Wagner will be accommodated in Belarus. And these satellite images claiming that we are dismantling something… Why are we removing extra tents? We don't need that many. The core will stay here. Some are on leave. Some decided to live somewhere else but the core has their contact information. Within several days all of them will be here. Up to 10,000 people. There is no need to keep them here now. They will come here in certain batches for training. If Russia wants to take them for rotation to Africa, go ahead, we don't mind it, those people may stay here. We help and support them. This is why they are not fleeing anywhere. As many people as this unit and we need will live and work in Belarus. We will honor our promise. They know the terms,” the head of state stressed.

Aleksandr Lukashenko also debunked a myth claiming that a Russian military transport aircraft landed in Belarus after the crash of Yevgeny Prigozhin's aircraft. The president said that the relevant request had been made but nobody had landed in Belarus yet. “We definitely coordinated with Russia when PMC Wagner personnel asked for a permission to use our airfields in order to collect troops for rotation to Africa I think and some gear, equipment, and so on. Feel free to land and take them. I promised that. I guaranteed that. That's the first point. The second point is that there have been no planes. This is why these are lies. But the relevant request had been made. We received it on 21 August,” he noted.

In his words, Belarusian military personnel take pleasure in learning from PMC Wagner personnel. Particularly the internal troops and special units. “I am surprised that there is no rejection. Our military personnel don't mind it. All kinds of things may happen. This is why they are absorbing everything,” the Belarusian leader noted. “I had my fears. I read descriptions by you and your colleagues: they are former convicts, they are the bad sort. Listen, they will help an old lady across a street and don't take change in a shop. Surprising people. Iron discipline. If you are afraid of wolves, don't go into the forest. We don't keep them here for pleasure but for benefits. And we've built a system to keep everything under control.”