Just after the weekend of chaos in southern Russia due to Wagner’s short trip to Moscow, NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg he reflected to reporters in Lithuania: “I think what we are seeing in Russia over the last few days shows the fragility of the [Russian] regime, and of course it is a demonstration of weaknessHe further stated: “We see the weakness of the Russian regime and it also shows how difficult and dangerous it is for President Putin.”
In the follow-up, Stoltenberg and other NATO officials on Wednesday commented on the presence of the Wagner Group in Belarus, after its founder and boss Yevgeny Prigozhin landed in Minsk on his private jet on Tuesday. Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko had teased the possibility that the Wagner Group was activated within its territoryin support of the Belarusian armed forces.
Both Stoltenberg and Lithuanian President Gitanas Nauseda have responded to the reports, expressing alarm over “instability” in the region and the threat of mercenary attacks.
“If Wagner deploys his serial killers in Belarus, all neighboring countries face an even greater danger of instability.” the Lithuanian president said.
Stoltenberg agreed that there are reasons for alarm, although he said it is “too early” to say what Wagner in Belarus could mean for NATO, but reiterated that the alliance will protect “every ally, every inch of NATO territory” vs “Moscow or Minsk” threats.
“We have already increased our military presence in the eastern part of the alliance and will take further decisions to further strengthen our collective defense with more high-readiness forces and more capabilities at the next summit,” Stoltenberg said.
The big NATO summit, where Sweden’s possible accession will also be high on the agenda, will take place in Vilnius on July 11-12. Meanwhile, Germany has pledged to station 4,000 more troops in Lithuania as part of a combined force.
Polish President Andrzej Duda has expressed that Wagner in Belarus should be a point of discussion on security on NATO’s eastern flank. “This is really serious and very worrying, and we have to take very strong decisions. It requires a very, very tough response from NATO.” said Doubt.
Apparently, Lukashenko and Prigozhin have the “warmest relationship” in years.
This clip is from Lukashenko’s interview with Gordon recorded in 2020. #Lukaishenko #Belarus #Russia #Wagner #Prigozhin pic.twitter.com/b5CtOtbDmt— Natalka (@NatalkaKyiv) June 28, 2023
Russian President Putin, in a series of public statements this week, confirmed that a deal had been made with Wagner and its now-exiled leader: Wagner’s fighters now have the option of signing a contract with the defense ministry or “they can go to Belarus”. in the words of the president.
Loading…
English 
Español de Venezuela