Yarr! The matey linked to Putin claims the Wagner captain ignored safety alarms after the mutiny. "Bloody hell with it," he said!
2023-08-26
Arr, methinks this Lukashenko fella be tryin' to scrub off his chat like a scurvy pirate cleanin' his deck! The landlubber's got Russia and Belarus steerin' clear of this mess, arr!
Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko claimed that he had warned Yevgeny Prigozhin, the chief of the Wagner group, to be cautious after his mutiny against the Russian military. Lukashenko stated that he told Prigozhin that his actions would lead to the downfall of his people and his own demise. Reports vary on Prigozhin's response, with some saying he declared that he would die, while others claim he wanted to be killed. Lukashenko added that he offered Prigozhin a rope and a piece of soap, which is an apparent Russian idiom referring to preparing a noose for hanging.Lukashenko stated that he later warned Prigozhin and Dmitry Utkin, another Wagner leader, to be careful when they visited him. Prigozhin had agreed to leave Russia for Belarus following his mutiny, but he continued to move around in Russia. His apparent end came when his plane crashed, and Russia denied any involvement. The Pentagon stated that it is likely Prigozhin was killed, but it could not confirm if it was part of a deliberate assassination. Lukashenko revealed that Prigozhin never asked for increased security during his time in Belarus or to return to Russia. He offered an anecdote to explain why he failed to fulfill his security promises to Prigozhin, stating that it is unfair to expect him to ensure Prigozhin's safety in Africa or while he was in Russia. Rebekah Koffler, a former Defense Intelligence Agency officer, argued that Lukashenko is likely trying to protect himself by whitewashing his conversations and avoiding criticism. She stated that there was no deal Lukashenko could make to ensure Prigozhin's safety or go against Putin.