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☆ Lukashenko undermines Putin’s Ukraine claim on Moscow concert hall attack
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-26 | by ( Christian Edwards | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +5 min

CNN —Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko appears to have cast doubt on Russia’s claims that Ukraine was involved in the brutal attack at a Moscow concert hall last week. Putin on Saturday claimed that a “window” had been prepared for the attackers to escape to Ukraine, which Kyiv has denied. But Lukashenko, one of Putin’s most loyal allies, on Tuesday appeared to contradict the Kremlin’s claims, saying that the attackers initially intended to enter Belarus rather than Ukraine. Putin lights a candle on Sunday in memory of victims of the Crocus City Hall attack. Shamil Zhumatov/ReutersA total of 11 people have been arrested in connection with the attack on the concert hall, Russian officials said.

Persons: Alexander Lukashenko, Vladimir Putin, Putin, ”, Lukashenko, …, ” Lukashenko, Belta, “, Alexander Bortnikov, Putin “, Dalerdzhon, Shamil Zhumatov, It’s Organizations: CNN, Belarusian, ISIS, Saturday, Kyiv, Crocus City, Central, Monday, Putin, Russia’s Federal Security Services, Reuters Locations: Ukraine, Moscow, Belarus, “, Belarusian, Russia, Crocus, Tajikistan, Russia’s Bryansk, Kremlin, Bryansk, Basmanny

☆ Alexander Lukashenko: Belarus’ president to stand for re-election in 2025
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-25 | by ( Sophie Tanno | Robbert Iddiols | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +2 min

CNN —Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko says he will run for another term in elections set to be held in 2025, a move likely to extend the long rule of a key ally of Russia’s Vladimir Putin. Lukashenko, while speaking to journalists at a polling station after voting in parliamentary and local council elections, was asked whether he planned to stand in the next contest. Lukashenko, who has ruled Belarus since 1994, will be confident of winning again, with votes in Belarus widely seen as neither free nor fair. The last presidential vote, in 2020, triggered riots when preliminary results showed Lukashenko had won in a landside victory. Tihkhanovskaya demanded a recount after the country’s Central Election Commission announced Lukashenko had won with 80.23% of the vote, while Tikhanovskaya stood at 9.9%.

Persons: Alexander Lukashenko, Russia’s Vladimir Putin, Lukashenko, “, ”, BelTA, Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya, “ Lukashenka, Putin, –, “ Europe’s, ” Lukashenko, Yevgeny Prigozhin, Prigozhin’s Wagner, Tihkhanovskaya, Tikhanovskaya Organizations: CNN, Belarusian, Belarus –, Russian, Observers, Commission Locations: Belarusian, Belarus, Ukraine, Soviet, Kyiv, Moscow

☆ Belarus Prepares Law Against 'LGBT Propaganda', State Media Says
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-19 | by ( Feb. | At A.M. | ) www.usnews.com time to read: +1 min

(Reuters) - Belarus has prepared a draft law punishing the "promotion of non-traditional relationships," referring to LGBT relationships, Belarusian state news agency Belta reported on Monday. The draft law is undergoing an approval procedure, he said. An anti-gay propaganda law has been on the books in neighbouring Russia since 2013 and has effectively outlawed any public expression of the behaviour or lifestyle of lesbians, gay men, bisexuals or transgender people. Photos You Should See View All 33 ImagesHomosexuality was decriminalised in Belarus in 1994, but the country does not recognise same-sex marriages and authorities have cracked down on LGBT pride parades. Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko has publicly mocked LGBT people, calling gay men "perverts" and "the ultimate abomination" in a speech to politicians last year.

Persons: Belta, Andrei Shved, Alexander Lukashenko, Lukashenko, Vladimir Putin's staunchest, Lucy Papachristou, Angus MacSwan Organizations: Reuters, LGBT Locations: Belarus, Russia

☆ Belarus adopts new military doctrine involving nuclear weapons
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-19 | by ( Mariya Knight | Chris Lau | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +4 min

CNN —Belarus on Friday adopted a new military doctrine that – if approved – would be the first step toward deploying nuclear weapons across the country. The Union State of Belarus and Russia Treaty sets up a legal basis for a wide-ranging alliance between the two countries. Baltic states reinforce bordersThe move by Belarus came as neighboring Baltic states signed an agreement to reinforce their borders with Belarus and Russia. During an interview with state news agency Belta in August last year, Belarusian leader Alexander Lukashenko said his country did not “bring nuclear weapons here in order to scare someone.”“Nuclear weapons represent a strong deterring factor. But these are tactical nuclear weapons, not strategic ones.

Persons: Viktor Khrenin, ”, Khrenin, “, Vladimir Putin, Alexander Lukashenko, Hanno Pevkur Organizations: CNN, ” Belarusian, Belarus ’, Collective Security, Organization, Union State, NATO, The Union, The Union State of, Russia Treaty, Belarusian People’s Assembly, Novosti, UN, OSCE, ” Minsk, Estonian Defense Ministry, Estonian Minister of Defense, Belta Locations: Belarus, Republic of Belarus, Russian, Russia, Armenia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, The Union State, The Union State of Belarus, Ukraine, NATO, Poland, Lithuania, Latvia, Baltic, Estonia, Estonian

☆ Belarus President Lukashenko Heading to China Second Time This Year
▼ + stars: | 2023-12-03 | by ( Dec. | At A.M. | ) www.usnews.com time to read: +1 min

(Reuters) - Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko was heading to Beijing on Sunday for talks with Chinese leader Xi Jinping, Belarusian state media reported, the second trip of the close ally of Russian President Vladimir Putin to China this year. Lukashenko, who according to Chinese state media was welcomed with a gun salute and military honours during his official Feb. 28 - March 2 visit, was this time heading for "a working visit," BelTA state news agency reported. "Negotiations between the head of the Belarusian state and president of the People's Republic of China Xi Jinping will take place in Beijing," BelTA said, citing Lukashenko's press service. Lukashenko, the president of Belarus since 1994 who has been shunned by the West, backed Russia's invasion in Ukraine in February 2022 by allowing Moscow to use its territory to launch the war. After their March 1 meeting, both Lukashenko and Xi called for the "soonest possible" peace deal for Ukraine.

Persons: Alexander Lukashenko, Xi Jinping, Vladimir Putin, Lukashenko, People's Republic of China Xi, BelTA, Xi, Lidia Kelly, William Mallard, Guy Faulconbridge Organizations: Reuters, Sunday Locations: Beijing, Belarusian, China, People's Republic of China, Belarus, Ukraine, Moscow, Russia, Melbourne

☆ Belarus President Lukashenko heading to China second time this year
▼ + stars: | 2023-12-03 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko delivers a national statement at the World Climate Action Summit during the United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP28) in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, December 1, 2023. REUTERS/Amr Alfiky/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsDec 3 (Reuters) - Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko was heading to Beijing on Sunday for talks with Chinese leader Xi Jinping, Belarusian state media reported, the second trip of the close ally of Russian President Vladimir Putin to China this year. "Negotiations between the head of the Belarusian state and president of the People's Republic of China Xi Jinping will take place in Beijing," BelTA said, citing Lukashenko's press service. Lukashenko, the president of Belarus since 1994 who has been shunned by the West, backed Russia's invasion in Ukraine in February 2022 by allowing Moscow to use its territory to launch the war. After their March 1 meeting, both Lukashenko and Xi called for the "soonest possible" peace deal for Ukraine.

Persons: Alexander Lukashenko, Amr Alfiky, Xi Jinping, Vladimir Putin, Lukashenko, People's Republic of China Xi, BelTA, Xi, Lidia Kelly, William Mallard, Guy Faulconbridge Organizations: United Nations, Change, United Arab Emirates, REUTERS, Sunday, Thomson Locations: Dubai, United Arab, Beijing, Belarusian, China, People's Republic of China, Belarus, Ukraine, Moscow, Russia, Melbourne

☆ Russia fumes at the West's charm offensive in its backyard, saying it's 'luring' its friends away
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-03 | by ( Holly Ellyatt | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +9 min

One top official in Moscow was fuming as he claimed the West was "luring" its "neighbours, friends, and allies" away from Russia. Moscow's disdainThe French leader's comments are likely to have enraged Moscow, which is already watching Western efforts to court Central Asia with suspicion and disdain. "Look at how Western powers are wooing Central Asia," Lavrov told the BelTA news agency, in comments published by Russia's Foreign Ministry. "They have created numerous formats such as 'Central Asia plus' involving the United States, the EU, and Japan ... On top of the Central Asia plus EU format, the Germans have created their own format. China's roleThere's certainly a tussle for influence that's taking place in Central Asia, with China also "courting" the region to a certain extent.

Persons: Vladimir Putin, Emmanuel Macron, Macron, Kassym, Sergei Lavrov, Lavrov, Ilham Aliyev, Serdar Berdimuhamedow, Emomali Rahmon, Alexander Lukashenko, Mark Galeotti, Galeotti, we've, Ed Jones, There's, Joe Biden, Jim Watson, Alexander Titov, Russia's, Xi Jinping, Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov Organizations: Getty, Ukraine, Kazakh, CNBC, Russian, Central, Russia's Foreign Ministry, EU, Commonwealth of Independent States, Central Asia's, West, General, Afp, Georgia —, Queen's University of Belfast, U.S, Analysts, of, Forum, International Cooperation, Xinhua News Agency Locations: 13,2023, Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan, Russia, Moscow, Central Asia, Kazakhstan, Soviet, Astana, France, Uzbekistan, United States, Japan, Turkmenistan, Russian, London, Europe, China, Central, Ukraine, Central Asian, Tajikistan, New York City, Belarus, Donetsk, Kherson, Luhansk, Zaporizhzhia, North Korea, Nicaragua, Syria, South Caucasus, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Georgia, Latvia, Lithuania, Estonia, Moldova, Afghanistan, Beijing, People's, of Turkmenistan

☆ Belarus' Lukashenko says Ukraine-Russia war at stalemate, urges talks
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-29 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

A view shows a multi-storey residential building damaged in recent shelling in the course of Russia-Ukraine conflict in Donetsk, Russian-controlled Ukraine, October 26, 2023. "There are enough problems on both sides and in general the situation is now seriously stalemate: no one can do anything and substantively strengthen or advance their position," Lukashenko said. "We need to sit down at the negotiating table and come to an agreement," Lukashenko said in a question and answer video posted on the website of the Belarusian state news agency BelTA. Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelenskiy reiterated on Saturday at a gathering of over 60 national security advisers that his 10-point peace plan, which includes calls for the restoration of Ukraine's territorial integrity, is the only way to end the war. Reporting by Lidia Kelly in Melbourne; Editing by Raju GopalakrishnanOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Alexander Ermochenko, Alexander Lukashenko, Vladimir Putin, Lukashenko, Volodymyr Zelenskiy, Lidia Kelly, Raju Gopalakrishnan Organizations: REUTERS, U.S . White, Thomson Locations: Russia, Ukraine, Donetsk, Russian, Belarus, U.S, Belarusian, Melbourne

☆ Russia says Israel's Gaza bombardment is against international law
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-28 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Smoke is rising after an Israeli strike on Gaza seen from a viewpoint in Southern Israel October 24, 2023. REUTERS/Violeta Santos Moura/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsOct 28 (Reuters) - Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov has said that Israel's bombardment of Gaza runs counter to international law and risks creating a catastrophe that could last decades. It was impossible, he added, to destroy Hamas - as Israel has vowed to do - without destroying Gaza along with most of its civilian population. Health authorities in Hamas-run Gaza said on Friday that 7,326 Palestinians had been killed since Israel's bombardment began. Russia, which backs an immediate ceasefire and a two-state solution, has angered Israel by inviting a Hamas delegation to Moscow, a decision it defended on Friday.

Persons: Violeta Santos Moura, Sergei Lavrov, Lavrov, Israel, Andrew Osborn, Giles Elgood Organizations: REUTERS, Russian, Health, Hamas, Thomson Locations: Gaza, Southern Israel, Israel, Belarusian, Russia, Moscow, Kyiv, Ukraine

CNN —Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko has said he warned Wagner chief Yevgeny Prigozhin twice to watch out for threats to his life. “The first time was when I phoned him and negotiations (were taking) place while they were marching on Moscow,” Lukashenko told reporters in comments carried by Belarusian state news agency Belta on Friday. The Belarusian president said he suggested to Prigozhin that he could talk with Putin and “guarantee full security” in Belarus if he was concerned for his security, Belta reported. On Friday, the Kremlin said that examinations including genetic testing were underway to determine whether Prigozhin was killed in Wednesday’s plane crash. Russian authorities have yet to officially confirm Prigozhin’s death but have acknowledged the plane crash in public comments.

Persons: Alexander Lukashenko, Wagner, Yevgeny Prigozhin, “, ” Lukashenko, Belta, ‘ Yevgeny, ‘, Prigozhin, Dmitriy Utkin, Prigozhin’s, Putin, Vladimir, Utkin, ’ it’s Putin Lukashenko, Lukashenko, ” Organizations: CNN, Belarusian, Kremlin, Russian Federal Air Transport Agency, Pentagon Locations: Moscow, Belarusian, Belarus, St . Petersburg, Prigozhin

☆ Belarus leader: I urged mercenary Prigozhin to 'watch out'
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-25 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

A woman lights a candle in front of a portrait of Wagner mercenary chief Yevgeny Prigozhin at a makeshift memorial in Moscow, Russia August 24. Prigozhin, Lukashenko said on Friday, had twice dismissed concerns raised by the Belarusian leader about possible threats to his life. Lukashenko said that during the mutiny he had warned Prigozhin that he would "die" if he continued to march on Moscow, to which he said Prigozhin had answered:"'To hell with it - I will die'." Lukashenko, both an old acquaintance of Prigozhin and close ally of Russia, said that Putin had nothing to do with the plane crash. Lukashenko said Wagner fighters would remain in Belarus.

Persons: Wagner, Yevgeny Prigozhin, Stringer, Lukashenko, Prigozhin, Putin Lukashenko, Alexander Lukashenko, Dmitry Utkin, Putin, Prigozhin's, It's, Wager, Guy Faulconbridge, Hugh Lawson Organizations: REUTERS, Kremlin, Russian, Thomson Locations: Moscow, Russia, Belarus Kremlin, MOSCOW, Belarus, Belarusian

CNN —Belarus would be willing to use the nuclear weapons given by close ally Russia in the face of foreign “aggression,” President Alexander Lukashenko said Thursday, as tensions rise around the country’s borders with NATO nations. In June, Russian nuclear warheads were reportedly delivered to Belarus for “deterrence,” according to Russian President Vladimir Putin. We will use the entire arsenal of our weapons for deterrence.”“We didn’t bring nuclear weapons here in order to scare someone,” he added. “Yes, nuclear weapons represent a strong deterring factor. But these are tactical nuclear weapons, not strategic ones.

Persons: Alexander Lukashenko, Vladimir Putin, Belta, Lukashenko, “, ”, Wagner, Putin, ” “ Putin, ” Lukashenko, Ukraine Lukashenko, –, Viktor Yanukovych – Organizations: CNN, NATO, Latvia –, US Defense Intelligence Agency, DIA, European Union Locations: Belarus, Russia, Minsk, Ukraine, Moscow, Russian, NATO, Poland, Lithuania, Latvia, Latvia – Belarus, Europe, “, Polish, Crimea, Crimean

☆ Wagner, infamous for brutality in Ukraine and a failed mutiny in Russia, is registered as an 'educational organization' in its new home
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-16 | by ( Jake Epstein | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +6 min

The Wagner Group has reportedly registered as an "educational organization" in Belarus. The embattled organization has been training soldiers in the Belarusian military for several weeks. Now, the mercenary group is registered as an "educational organization" in Belarus — its new home — as it trains the country's military. Information published by Belarus' Unified State Register of Legal Entities and Individual Entrepreneurs shows that Wagner registered as a company earlier this month, with the sole purpose of educational activities, according to multiple reports on Wednesday. Gen. Pat Ryder told reporters at a briefing earlier this month, adding that "when it comes to Wagner Group, I think we all keep a close eye all of the time."

Persons: Wagner, Yevgeny Prigozhin, Russian Wagner, Alexander Lukashenko, Prigozhin, Pat Ryder, Agnė Bilotaitė Organizations: Wagner, Service, Belarus ' Unified State, Entrepreneurs, Wagner Group, Russian, Belarusian Defence Ministry, REUTERS, Officials, Belarus ' Defense Ministry, Special Operations Forces, AP, Pentagon Press, Air Force, NATO, Belarus — Locations: Belarus, Belarusian, Wall, Silicon, Ukraine, Asipovichy, Russian, Brest, Africa, Officials Poland, Lithuania, Warsaw, Minsk, Poland

☆ Exiled Wagner mercenaries are training Belarusian troops in what may signal Putin's puppet next door is cutting some of the strings
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-02 | by ( Jake Epstein | Chris Panella | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +10 min

Wagner Group mercenaries cast into exile in Belarus have been training the country's soldiers. The increased military training suggests that Putin's influential grip on Belarus may be waning. "The Wagner Group's new role in Belarusian company-level training is notable," the ISW analysis said. Shortly after that, Wagner troops began training internal troops, the Belarusian Deputy Commander of the Internal Troops confirmed on July 25. Lukashenko, meanwhile, has praised the Wagner fighters and welcomed the military training with open arms.

Persons: Wagner, Vladimir Putin, Alexander Lukashenko, Lukashenko, Yevgeny Prigozhin, Prigozhin, Eager, Russian Wagner, ISW, George Barros, Wagner's, Barros, Putin, Belta, John Kirby, We're, Kirby Organizations: Service, Kremlin, Wagner Group, Belarusian Defence Ministry, REUTERS, Russian, Institute for, Belarusian, Sputnik, Internal Troops, Belarus ' Defense Ministry, Special Operations Forces, AP, Moscow, Ukrainian, Minsk, White, National Security, NATO Locations: Belarus, Russia, Wall, Silicon, Belarusian, Asipovichy, Minsk, Russian, Brest, Washington, DC, wean, Moscow, Ukraine, Sochi, Kremlin, Africa, Poland, Lithuania

☆ Lukashenko taunts Poland again over Wagner troops near border
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-01 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko attends a meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Saint Petersburg, Russia July 23, 2023. Sputnik/Alexei Danichev/Kremlin via REUTERS/File Photo License this content on Reuters ConnectAug 1 (Reuters) - Belarusian leader Alexander Lukashenko on Tuesday taunted Poland over the presence of Russian Wagner mercenaries near the NATO country's border, saying Warsaw should thank him for keeping them in check. State news agency Belta quoted him on Tuesday as saying that the Poles "should pray that we're holding onto (the Wagner fighters) and providing for them. Rzeszow is a city in southeast Poland near the Ukrainian border. On Saturday, Polish Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki said a group of 100 Wagner fighters had moved closer to the Belarusian city of Grodno near the Polish border, describing the situation as "increasingly dangerous".

Persons: Alexander Lukashenko, Vladimir Putin, Alexei Danichev, Russian Wagner, Wagner, Belta, Mateusz Morawiecki, Lukashenko, Putin, Mark Trevelyan, Gareth Jones Organizations: Sputnik, REUTERS, Reuters, Tuesday, NATO, Polish, Thomson Locations: Saint Petersburg, Russia, Kremlin, Poland, Warsaw, Belarus, Lukashenko, Rzeszow, State, Ukrainian, Belarusian, Grodno, Brest, Ukraine

☆ A newly surfaced image of Prigozhin hints at where the Wagner boss may have finally ended up after his failed mutiny
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-14 | by ( Jake Epstein | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +7 min

But a new photo of the mercenary boss offers a hint that he may be at a military camp in Belarus. A Skyfi satellite image of the training base at Tsel outside Asipovichy in Belarus where Wagner forces are training Belarusian troops. But the new image of Prigozhin suggests that he may be at the same military camp where his Wagner mercenaries are training Belarusian soldiers. The windows in the photo appear to match those on tents at the military camp being used by Wagner and Belarusian soldiers. Although the rebellion left questions about where Wagner fighters would end up, US officials have since said that they aren't fighting in Ukraine anymore.

Persons: Yevgeny Prigozhin, Wagner, Jens Stoltenberg, Adam Berry, ALEXANDER NEMENOV, Belta, Wagner's, Alexander Lukashenko, — Prigozhin, Vladimir Putin, Prigozin, —, Prigozhin, It's Organizations: Service, Wagner Group, Belarussian, NATO, Belarusian Defence Ministry, Getty, PMC Wagner, Kremlin, Twitter, Ukrainian, Pentagon, Bakhmut, Russian Armed Forces Locations: Belarus, Minsk, Wall, Silicon, Belarusian, Moscow, Tsel, Asipovichy district, Asipovichy, Asipovichy District, Mogilev Region, AFP, Russian, St . Petersburg, Ukraine

☆ Belarus' dictator says he told Prigozhin he was ready to send special forces to defend Moscow against the Wagner rebellion and hoped he wouldn't be offended
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-06 | by ( Jake Epstein | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

Belarus' Lukashenko said he was ready to help defend Moscow from the Wagner Group's mutiny. The dictator told Wagner boss Yevgeny Prigozhin he hoped he wouldn't be offended by the decision. A special forces brigade from Belarus' military was ready to deploy to Moscow immediately after Prigozhin and Wagner launched their short-lived mutiny against Russia's military leadership, Lukashenko told foreign and domestic reporters in Minsk. The dictator just hoped Prigozhin wouldn't mind that he was preparing to have his forces act against him. We will defend Moscow together with Putin," Lukashenko recalled, according to a translation of his remarks by state-run news agency BelTA.

Persons: Lukashenko, Wagner, Yevgeny Prigozhin, —, Alexander Lukashenko, Prigozhin, Vladimir Putin, Yevgeny, Putin, BelTA, Russia's, Pat Ryder Organizations: Service, Privacy, Belarusian, Army, Sputnik, Kremlin, Institute for, Putin, Pentagon Press, Air Force Locations: Belarus, Moscow, Minsk, Rostov, Russia, Russian, Sochi, Kremlin, Belarusian, Washington, Ukraine

Atlanta/Hong Kong CNN —Belarusian President Aleksandr Lukashenko has invited Wagner Group mercenaries to his country to train its military. The Wagner leader was last spotted leaving the southern Russian city of Rostov-on-Don last Saturday, after abruptly calling off his troops’ march on Moscow. Media group shut downLukashenko’s speech came as a Russian media group associated with Prigozhin shut down its operations. Russian state media TASS reported Friday that the Russian media regulator Roskomnadzor has restricted access to media sites belonging to Patriot. Prigozhin, the founder of the private military company Wagner, had recently held the position of deputy head of the Patriot’s supervisory board.

Persons: Aleksandr Lukashenko, Wagner, Lukashenko, ” Lukashenko, defusing, Vladimir Putin, Yevgeny Prigozhin, ”, Putin, Prigozhin, Don, Yevgeny Zubarev, Zubarev Organizations: Hong Kong CNN —, Wagner Group, Belarus ’, European Union, Media, Prigozhin’s Patriot, Federal News Agency, People’s, Economy, Politics, TASS Locations: Atlanta, Hong Kong, Belarus, Belarusian, Moscow, Russian, United States, Poland, “, Russia, Ukraine, Rostov, Minsk, Nevskiye Novosti

☆ Belarus leader says nuclear arms will not be used
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-30 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

June 30 (Reuters) - Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko, the Kremlin's staunchest ally in its war in Ukraine, said on Friday he was certain Russian tactical nuclear weapons deployed in his country would never be used. The Belarusian president, in an address marking his ex-Soviet state's national day, said the stationing of the weapons in Belarus was "my firmest initiative". Lukashenko, like Russia, has repeatedly accused Western countries of trying to destroy his state and says the nuclear deployment is necessary to deter potential aggressors. In his remarks, he said the same Belarusian opposition politicians, now mostly in exile, who denounced the weapons deployment also criticised the construction of a Russian-built nuclear power station now operating in Belarus. "If they shout that nuclear weapons are bad, just do the opposite."

Persons: Alexander Lukashenko, Lukashenko, Vladimir Putin, Sergei Ryabkov, Putin, Yevgeny Prigozhin, Jacek Siewiera, Wagner, I've, Ronald Popeski, Cynthia Osterman Organizations: Russia's Tass, Poland's National Bureau of Security, Financial Times, Thomson Locations: Ukraine, Russian, Belarus, Belarusian, Soviet, Russia, Poland's, Africa, Europe, Poland

☆ Belarus' second-rate dictator Lukashenko is 'humiliating' Putin by bragging about how he saved Moscow from an armed Wagner revolt, experts say
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-28 | by ( Jake Epstein | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

Belarusian President Lukashenko says he helped negotiate an end to the Wagner Group's armed mutiny. Hail-mary negotiations, mediated by Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko, stopped the potential bloodshed in the capital. After Wagner fighters captured the southern city of Rostov-on-Don early Saturday, they continued north toward Moscow as the city prepared its defenses for battle. By that point, Wagner fighters had already shot down several Russian military aircraft. Russian President Vladimir Putin (C) and Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko (R) arrive to the Palace of Independence prior to their talks in Minsk, Belarus, on December 19, 2022.

Persons: Lukashenko, Wagner, Yevgeny Prigozhin, Putin, —, mary, Alexander Lukashenko, Vladimir Putin, Prigozhin, Lukashenko's, BelTA, It's, Volodymyr Zelenskyy, doesn't, Pat Ryder Organizations: Service, Wagner Group, Russian, Kremlin, Reuters, Institute for, NATO, Pentagon Press, Air Force Locations: Moscow, Rostov, Belarus, Minsk, Russian, Voronezh, Belarusian, Washington, Ukraine, Russia, Lithuania

MOSCOW, June 28 (Reuters) - Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko said he persuaded Russian President Vladimir Putin not to "wipe out" mercenary chief Yevgeny Prigozhin, in response to what the Kremlin cast as a mutiny that pushed Russia towards civil war. While describing his Saturday conversation with Putin, Lukashenko used the Russian criminal slang phrase for killing someone, equivalent to the English phrase to "wipe out". "I also understood: a brutal decision had been made (and it was the undertone of Putin's address) to wipe out" the mutineers, Lukashenko told a meeting of his army officials and journalists on Tuesday, according to Belarusian state media. Later Lukashenko told his military that "people fail to understand that we are approaching this in a pragmatic way ... Prigozhin halted what he called was "march of justice" on Moscow from the southern city of Rostov-on-Don within 200 kilometres of the capital after Lukashenko's intervention.

Persons: Alexander Lukashenko, Vladimir Putin, Yevgeny Prigozhin, Putin, Prigozhin, Lukashenko, Sasha, Wagner, They've, Guy Faulconbridge, Lidia Kelly, Nick Starkov, Andrew Osborn, Peter Graff Organizations: Thomson Locations: MOSCOW, Russian, Russia, Belarus, Kremlin, Belarusian, Moscow, Rostov, Melbourne

☆ Belarus wants exiled Wagner officers to use their experience in Ukraine to make its own army more deadly
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-28 | by ( Sinéad Baker | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

He said Wagner fighters could give its army advice on "tactics, and weapons, and how to attack, how to defend." "Now there is a lot of talk and chatter: 'Wagner, Wagner, Wagner'. Belarus, Russia's neighbor and closest ally, is run by Lukashenko, a dictator who has been in power since 1994. It's not clear what the future of Wagner fighters looks like in the country. Russian media outlet Verstka reported that Belarus is constructing a base for around 8,000 Wagner fighters 124 miles from its border with Ukraine.

Persons: Wagner, —, Alexander Lukashenko, Belta, Lukashenko, Viktor Khrenin, Vladimir Putin, Yevgeny Prigozhin, Putin, Prigozhin, It's Organizations: Service, Kremlin, Pravda, Don, Saturday, Wagner Group, Washington DC Locations: Belarus, Russia, Ukraine, Africa, Russian, Rostov, Moscow, Minsk, Washington

☆ Belarus' Lukashenko says he convinced Putin not to eliminate Wagner leader Prigozhin
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-28 | by ( Ruxandra Iordache | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +1 min

Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko signaled he deterred his Russian counterpart and long-time ally Vladimir Putin from eliminating failed insurrectionist and Russian paramilitary leader Yevgeny Prigozhin after his attempted coup over the weekend. "I also realized that a tough decision was taken (Putin hinted at it in his address) — to eliminate those involved. I suggested that I talk to Prigozhin, his commanders," Lukashenko said on Tuesday, in unexpectedly frank and exhaustive comments reported by Belarusian state agency Belta. Against expectations, Lukashenko on Tuesday confirmed that Prigozhin — a "dead man walking," according to Ian Bremmer, president of the Eurasia Group — reached Belarus by private plane. "No one will give you Shoigu or Gerasimov, especially in this situation," Lukashenko claims to have told Prigozhin.

Persons: Alexander Lukashenko, Vladimir Putin, insurrectionist, Yevgeny Prigozhin, Putin, Prigozhin, Lukashenko, Wagner, Ian Bremmer, Sergei Shoigu, Valery Gerasimov — Organizations: Russian, Belta, Prigozhin, Tuesday, Eurasia Group — Locations: Belarusian, Moscow, Belarus, Russia

☆ Belarus' dictator says he talked Putin out of assassinating Prigozhin: 'Yes, we could take him out'
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-27 | by ( Rebecca Cohen | Jake Epstein | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

Belarus' president said that he talked Vladimir Putin out of assassinating Yevgeny Prigozhin. Prigozhin attempted to march on Moscow in an armed revolt against the Russian defense ministry. "I said to Putin, 'Yes we could take him out, it wouldn't be a problem, if it doesn't work the first time then the second,'" Lukashenko said in a speech Tuesday. Had Putin decided to follow through with this plan there wouldn't be any negotiations, Lukashenko said, according to state-run media agency BelTA. After Prigozhin's attempted mutiny, Putin announced an agreement in which Prigozhin could live in exile in neighboring Belarus, but Putin has since said traitors would be "brought to justice," suggesting that the Wagner leader could face consequences.

Persons: Vladimir Putin, Yevgeny Prigozhin, Lukashenko, Prigozhin, —, Aleksandr Lukashenko, Putin, Shaun Walker ., Prigozhin's, Wagner Organizations: Service, Wagner Group, Twitter Locations: Belarus, Moscow, Russia

☆ How the 'masculine' talks that averted a siege on Moscow went down, according to Putin's negotiator
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-27 | by ( Sam Fellman | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +6 min

Thousands of Wagner fighters led by Prigozhin threatened to advance on Moscow Saturday. That's when Russian leader Vladimir Putin purportedly came calling. The number of swear words was ten times higher than that of normal words. Certainly, he said he was sorry for using swear words." Russian President Vladimir Putin and his Belarusian counterpart Alexander Lukashenko at the Kremlin in Moscow on September 9, 2021.

Persons: Lukashenko, Wagner, Prigozhin, —, Alexander Lukashenko, Yevgeny Prigozhin, Vladimir Putin's, Putin, wasn't, Vladimir Putin, Sergei Shoigu, Valery Gerasimov, SHAMIL ZHUMATOV, Prigozhin's Organizations: Moscow, Service, Privacy, Wagner Group, Belarusian, Kremlin, Getty, Lukashenko's Locations: Belarus, Moscow, Independence, Minsk, Russia, Belarusian, Ukraine, Russian, Rostov

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