Fear in the East after the Wagner chief's exile

Russia's invasion of Ukraine 

The fear in the East after the exile of the Wagner boss: "Serial killer in Belarus"  

 

Peter Schwartz  

 

Published 00:27  

 

News  

 

The Wagner boss has landed in Belarus.  

 

Now the neighboring countries are appealing to NATO for reinforcement.  

 

- Wagner's serial killers in Belarus would risk instability in all neighboring countries, says Lithuanian President Nauseda. 

 

Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte and NATO Director General Jens Stoltenberg met leaders from six NATO countries in The Hague on tuesday evening. The message was clear from Belarus' neighboring countries: Wagner chief Yevgeny Prigozhin's move to Belarus will increase instability in the region. 

 

- This is extremely worrying and we have to make tough decisions. NATO must respond very hard, said Polish President Adrzej Duda.  

 

According to information to several international media, a Wagner base for 8,000 soldiers is being built southeast of Minsk. 

 

- If Wagner stations his serial killers in Belarus, all neighboring countries will risk greater instability, says Lithuanian President Gitanas Nauseda.

 

From left: Lithuanian Defense Minister Arvydas Anasauskas, German Defense Minister Boris Pistorius, NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg and Lithuanian President Gitanas Nauseda at the German-Lithuanian military exercise "Griffin Storm 2023" north of Vilnius on Monday. Photo: Mindaugas Kulbis / AP  

 

"Will defend every centimeter"  

 

NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg said the alliance will agree to strengthen the defenses of all NATO countries in response to the Wagner chief's move. In particular, the countries bordering Belarus.  

 

- We will take further steps during the upcoming summit to strengthen our collective defense with high readiness troops and other resources, Stoltenberg said.  

 

He clarified that NATO will defend itself against any form of threat from "Moscow or Minsk".  

 

- The message to Moscow and Minsk is clear: the Alliance will defend every member state and every centimeter of NATO territory, Stoltenberg said. Wagner boss Yevgeny Prigozhins moves to Belarus, which according to neighboring countries increases instability in the region.  

 

Wagner boss Yevgeny Prigozhins moves to Belarus, which according to neighboring countries increases instability in the region. Photo: TT NEWS AGENCY  

 

After the invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, NATO strengthened the defenses of its eastern member states. Multinational troops were added in Slovakia, Hungary, Romania and Bulgaria. During Monday, Germany announced that the country is offering to contribute a brigade of 4,000 soldiers in Lithuania to strengthen NATO's presence in the east.  

 

Stoltenberg said on Monday that a crisis meeting should be called in the coming days to try to resolve the Turkish contradictions surrounding Sweden's NATO membership.  

 

The NATO summit will be held on July 11-12 in Vilnius.  

 

 

Soldiers on exercise "Griffin Storm 2023" 

1 / 2Photo: Mindaugas Kulbis / AP