«Prigozhin Has Not Responded to Putin's Calls» - Lukashenko

Russian President Alexander Lukashenko has revealed details of discussions with Russian President Vladimir Putin during the rebellion of Yevgeny Prigozhin, the founder of the Wagner private military company. Lukashenko also stated that he urged his Russian counterpart not to rush into making harsh decisions.

According to Lukashenko, he suggested to Putin that they talk to Prigozhin, but was told that it would be pointless. "Prigozhin doesn’t even answer the phone, he doesn’t want to talk to anyone," Lukashenko quoted Putin as saying.

The Belarusian leader mentioned that during his conversation with Putin, he realized that a decision had been made regarding Prigozhin that would lead to a 'harsh solution'. "I understood that a harsh decision was made. I told Putin not to rush: I said, let’s talk to Prigozhin and his commanders. To which he replied, 'Listen, Sasha, that’s useless. He doesn’t even answer the phone, he doesn’t want to talk to anyone,'" Lukashenko reported. Despite Putin’s stance, the Belarusian president insisted on the need to negotiate with Prigozhin.