Nato has issued a stark warning that the presence of Russia’s Wagner Group in Belarus could create issues for the bloc’s Eastern European members.
It comes after confirmation that Wagner boss Yevgeny Prigozhin has landed in Belarus, as part of a deal negotiated to stop the mercenary forces marching on Moscow.
Wagner mercenaries have been “offered an abandoned military base” if they wish to join Prigozhin, the BBC said. Fighters have been presented with three options: “sign regular army contracts, go home or head to Belarus”, the broadcaster added.
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However, the presence of Wagner in Belarus has sparked fears about Eastern European relations, particularly amid the Ukraine war – and the Nato Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg has told Reuters the alliance is “ready to defend itself against any threat”. The mercenary force was dubbed “serial killers” by Lithuanian President Gitanas Nauseda after a meeting with Stoltenberg and six other Nato allies.
Stoltenberg did concede it is “too early” to determine what Wagner’s presence in Belarus could mean for Nato allies. He vowed to protect “every ally, every inch of Nato territory” against threats arising from either “Moscow or Minsk”.
Polish President Andrzej Duda also appeared to raise concerns about the Wagner transfer. He said the “de facto relocation” of the group created “very negative signals for us”, the Polsat News TV channel reported.
Belarus has so far played an important role in attempting to broker peace between the Kremlin and the mercenary group. Belarusian president Alexander Lukashenko told his military officials he had “urged Putin not to kill the rebellious mercenary boss Prigozhin”, said Al Jazeera.
However, the Institute for the Study of War warned Belarus may not be a “true haven” for Wagner mercenaries. “Putin may be presenting Belarus as a haven for Wagner fighters as a trap”, the institute said.
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