On Tuesday, eastern European NATO countries warned that Wagner’s Russian mercenary forces moving to Belarus would increase regional instability. Still, NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg said the alliance would defend itself against danger.
“If Wagner deploys its serial killers in Belarus, all neighbouring countries face even bigger danger of instability,” Lithuanian President Gitanas Nauseda said during a meeting in The Hague with Stoltenberg and government leaders from six other NATO partners.
“This is quite serious and disturbing, and we must make tough decisions. Polish President Andrzej Duda said NATO must respond harshly.
Wagner boss Yevgeny Prigozhin came to Belarus on Tuesday after President Alexander Lukashenko’s accord ended the mercenaries’ mutiny in Russia on Saturday.
President Vladimir Putin said Wagner’s fighters might move there.
NATO’s Stoltenberg said it was too early to determine what this could mean for NATO allies and emphasized the alliance’s expanded eastern flank defense in recent years.
“We have sent a clear message to Moscow and Minsk that NATO is there to protect every ally, every inch of NATO territory,” Stoltenberg said.
“We have already increased our military presence in the eastern part of the alliance and will make further decisions to strengthen our collective defence with more high-readiness forces and more capabilities at the upcoming summit.”
Stoltenberg said the mutiny showed Putin’s “illegal war” against Ukraine had divided Russia.
Russia should not be underestimated. So supporting Ukraine is even more crucial.”
Poland’s Duda anticipated the NATO meeting in Vilnius, Lithuania, July 11-12 would address Wagner forces.
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