- Putin reacted swiftly to the ‘coup’ of the Wagner private military company
- No concrete action was taken against Yevgeny Prigozhin, head of the company
- Belarusian President denies ‘Russian conspiracies’
The ‘Putin’s Chef’ coup in Russia and President Vladimir Putin’s reaction to it have raised many questions. Putin reacted swiftly to the ‘coup’ of the Wagner private military company. But no concrete action was taken against the head of the company, Yevgeny Prigozhin. A ‘secret deal’ was made between the President and the Wagner Chief and then the whole affair was settled. It is being said that this is in fact part of Putin’s war plan.
Now that Prigozhin has reached Belarus, his fighters may soon arrive. President Putin has put 3 conditions against the Wagner fighters they must join the Russian army, or else go to Belarus or go home. It was the President of Belarus Alexander Lukashenko who ended the ‘coup’ by convincing Prigozhin.
Will Kiev be attacked from Belarus?
The Belarusian president has denied a ‘Russian conspiracy’ that pardoned the ‘rebel’ Prigozhin and sent him to Belarus. Kyiv, the capital of Ukraine, is about 500 kilometers from Belarus. Putin’s army made several attempts to gain an edge on Kiev but in no case succeeded. In such a situation, there is a possibility that Wagner, who led Russia to victory over Bakhmut, may also target Kiev from Belarus.
Kyiv is 240 km from the city of Mazir and 259 km from the city of Gomel in Belarus. Belarus is building a camp for Wagner fighters. In such a situation, it is feared that other of its fighters may reach Belarus soon. The Belarusian president, meanwhile, has insisted that no camps are being built there. But the Wagner fighters can stay here by putting their own.
Russia’s army, weapons, nuclear in Belarus
Russian troops are already stationed in Belarus. Following the breakup of the Soviet Union, Russia established two military bases in Vileka and Barnavychi under an agreement in neighboring Belarus. Later its number has also been increased. Distance from Barnavichy to Kyiv is 550 km. It is obvious that if there is an army base of Russia in the neighboring country, then there is also deployment of weapons here.
President Putin deployed 9,000 troops to Belarus in October last year following the invasion of Ukraine. Later missiles were also deployed here. That same month, Putin said the first batch of nuclear weapons had been shipped to Belarus. He did not say how many nuclear weapons have been deployed outside the country. Putin plans to send a nuclear batch next month on July 7-8. Russia has 1,816 non-strategic nuclear warheads.
This is the first time since the end of the Soviet Union that Russia has deployed nuclear weapons at this level to another country. NATO has also deployed this deadly weapon in Belgium, Netherlands, Germany, Italy and Turkey. President Putin says he had to deploy heavy weapons in Belarus in response.
What is going through the mind of the ‘brutal ruler’ Putin?
Putin’s identity is that of a brutal ruler in the world. The protests in Russia after the invasion of Ukraine led the West to assume that Putin’s rule would end when it did not. He emerged as a strong leader. Obviously, in such a situation, if anyone challenges him, Putin can launch a dangerous attack on him. Putin did not do this in Prigozhin’s case.
All serious cases against the Wagner chief ended as the security agency closed all files and showed him the way out of the country. Prigozhin was also sent to Belarus where Russian troops, including deadly nuclear weapons, are stationed. Now in the eyes of the world if Prigozhin, a rebel and secretly close to Putin, uses these weapons to attack Ukraine or Europe, Russia is officially determined to avoid those potential attacks and this is Putin’s plan as well.
