Belarus President Lukashenko speaks about Putin, Prigozhin and PMC Wagner

The statements that the Kremlin and Belarus President Alexander Lukashenko made on June 24 about private military company (PMC) Wagner and Yevgeny Prigozhin, are still relevant, Putin's official spokesman Dmitry Peskov said, TASS reports.

"I will take you back to June 24th. You remember the rather detailed story that Alexander Grigoryevich [Lukashenko] told, and we also made a statement. All this remains relevant. I have nothing new to add on this topic yet," Peskov told reporters.

Following the military mutiny that Yevgeny Prigozhin and PMC Wagner staged in Southern Russia on June 24-25, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said that the head of the PMC would go to Belarus. That was one of the conditions for the rebellion to end. The FSB subsequently dropped the armed rebellion case against Prigozhin.

Lukashenko: Putin knows Prigozhin much better than I do

"I don't know everything and I don't want to know all about the relationship between Putin and Prigozhin. But you have to understand that Putin knows Prigozhin much better than I do.

"I just saw him at certain events. Putin knows him since the times when they lived and worked in St. Petersburg. They had a very good relationship with each other.

"As for "traitors" and so on — that was the first reaction that President Putin showed on Saturday morning. I think that over time it may not have changed. His assessments may not have changed either, but they may have become much milder. Saying something out loud to the world is one thing, but what you have inside is different," Belarus President Alexander Lukashenko said, Belta reports.

PMC Wagner will work for the good of Russia

"We talked to him [Prigozhin] on the phone yesterday after lunch. We discussed aspects of further actions of PMC Wagner. He told me one thing:

"We will work for the good of Russia and will fulfill our duty to the end."

"What will happen to him next? Well, everything may happen in life. But if you think that Putin is so malicious and vindictive, that Prigozhin will be "killed” tomorrow… No, this is not going to happen," Lukashenko said.

PMC Wagner could be used to defend Belarus

"I am absolutely not concerned about the fact that a certain number of those fighters will be stationed here in Belarus. Moreover, they will be stationed here under certain conditions. The main condition is: if we need to get this unit involved for the defence of the state, it will be involved instantly. And their experience will be in demand," Lukashenko said.