Russian mercenary chief Yevgeny Prigozhin’s announced relocation to Belarus has created a new threat to the country’s independence as well as the safety of its NATO neighbors, exiled opposition leader Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya said.
(Bloomberg) — Sign up to receive the Balance of Power newsletter in your inbox, and follow Bloomberg Politics on Twitter and Facebook for more.
Russian mercenary chief Yevgeny Prigozhin’s announced relocation to Belarus has created a new threat to the country’s independence as well as the safety of its NATO neighbors, exiled opposition leader Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya said.
“If Prigozhin comes to Belarus with his thugs, it will threaten our neighbors too — Poland, Lithuania, Latvia,” Tsikhanouskaya said in an interview with Bloomberg TV.
The potential arrival of mercenaries from Prigozhin’s Wagner mercenary force in Belarus would only add to a host of risks, she said.
They include a crackdown by President Alexander Lukashenko’s government against his opponents, a large-scale exodus of Belarusians abroad, a promise by Russian leader Vladimir Putin to station nuclear weapons in Belarus, and the presence of Russian forces in the country, Tsikhanouskaya said.
Once stationed in Belarus, Prigozhin may become involved in training Russian troops, arms trading, or even another attack on Ukraine, according to Tsikhanouskaya.
“Prigozhin’s story is not over,” she said. “He will be trying to challenge Putin again, and I don’t want Belarus to get involved.”
More stories like this are available on bloomberg.com
©2023 Bloomberg L.P.