Wagner troops could work alongside Belarus' military, Lukashenko says
Wagner troops would "happily" share their experiences with the Belarusian military if stationed in the country, its president Alexander Lukashenko said Thursday.
“As far as I am informed as of this morning, the Wagner fighters are now stationed at their regular camps where they go for their rotation to rest and recover from frontlines. This a regular rotation for wartime. After Bakhmut they have left to their camp where they are today,” Lukashenko told CNN's Matthew Chance at a press conference.
He denied that housing Wagner forces could pose a danger to Belarus “if it happens.”
“I absolutely don’t see any risks of housing Wagner PMC in Belarus if it happens. Everyone is trying to pressure me about this, and I understand why. If Wagner PMC comes to Belarus, then all our neighbours and of course your leaders understand that this is a very powerful military unit that doesn’t have many equals in the world.”
He he told Chance that Belarus’ military was “not inferior” to Wagner.
“The experience that Wagner fighters and their commanders have, they will happily share with our military.”
Some context: Lukashenko invited Wagner Group mercenaries to Belarus last month to train the country's military. He said Wagner had been offered the use of land following the short-lived rebellion but denied building camps on Belarusian territory for the mercenary group.