Belarusian President Aleksandr Lukashenko has invited mercenaries of the Wagner Group, previously involved in the Ukraine conflict, to share their combat experience with the Belarusian military.

This development comes amidst escalating geopolitical tensions, as this once rebellious faction, now exiled to Minsk, shifts from an aggressive force in Russia to a potential asset in Belarus.

As per the state news agency Belta, Lukashenko expressed a willingness to accept combat training from the Wagner mercenaries, emphasizing their extensive experience in international warfare. His comments were made a week after he had played a key role in resolving an armed uprising by the Wagner forces against Moscow, led by Wagner leader Yevgeny Prigozhin.

In a turn of events that raised questions about Russian President Vladimir Putin’s political stability, Prigozhin and his forces had seized control of military facilities in two Russian cities. This crisis was resolved when Lukashenko brokered a deal that saw Prigozhin relocating to Belarus.

The terms of the agreement offered Wagner troops three choices, which are join the Belarusian forces, enlist in Russian military or law enforcement, or return to civilian life.

Lukashenko further warned of a potential global military-political crisis and criticized the West for its reluctance to engage in dialogue to defuse the situation. He accused the European Union and the United States of escalating tensions by arming Poland and turning it into a proxy training ground against Russia and Belarus.

  Aleksandr Lukashenko, Belarus, Ukraine, Vladimir Putin, Wagner Group, Yevgeny Prigozhin