Leaked Lukashenko-Prigozhin talks: Intrigue amidst chaos
A recording has surfaced online, allegedly capturing negotiations between Alexander Lukashenko and Yevgeny Prigozhin during the Wagner Group rebellion in June 2023. The authenticity of the recording has not been verified, but the speaking style and tone suggest it might be authentic.
Many of the reports by Russian and Belarusian media or government officials are elements of propaganda. Such reports are a part of the information war waged by the Russian Federation and the Republic of Belarus.
The conversation transcript was published by the portal reform.news. In the conversation, Lukashenko assures Prigozhin that he will discuss the rebellion with Vladimir Putin. "I haven't talked to him yet. However, our press service released information that we spoke with the President this morning and agreed that we will do everything to resolve the conflict peacefully. I suggested that we talk with Yevgeny Prigozhin to try to reach an agreement and so on," says the Belarusian leader.
Lukashenko reveals to his interlocutor that Putin is considering the possibility of taking Prigozhin's life, and also assures him that he will try to dissuade the Russian President from this idea. Prigozhin responded with scorn, suggesting that eliminating him is too risky and an obvious solution.
Prigozhin on Poles: Let them pay
Lukashenko encouraged Prigozhin to proceed according to the earlier plan. He also assured him that ready military bases are waiting for the Wagner Group in Belarus.
"Let the Poles pay for peace," states Yevgeny Prigozhin at one point, to which Lukashenko bursts into laughter. "Maybe so," summarises the Belarusian leader.
According to political scientist Anna Maria Dyner, this confirms Lukashenko's later statements that he stopped the Wagner Group from "a trip to Warsaw and Rzeszów." "They ask for permission to go West: 'Let us!' And I say: 'Why do you need to go there to the West?'" he recounted. The answer was that they wanted to "go on a trip to Warsaw and Rzeszów." "And, of course, I keep them, as we agreed, in central Belarus; I wouldn't want to redeploy them again because they are in a bad mood," threatened the Belarusian leader during a meeting with Vladimir Putin in July 2023.
