Russian President Vladimir Putin met with Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko in Saint Petersburg to discuss various issues, including the Wagner troops and the Ukrainian counter-offensive. This meeting marks their first encounter since Lukashenko helped broker a deal to end a mutiny by Wagner fighters inside Russia.
During their talks, Putin asserted that the Ukrainian counter-offensive to push back Russian forces has failed. Lukashenko, however, mentioned that he is keeping Russian Wagner mercenaries in central Belarus and that his country is controlling the situation with these fighters on its territory. He revealed that the mercenaries have expressed a desire to go westward, specifically to Warsaw and Rzeszow, but Lukashenko has decided to keep them in central Belarus as per their agreement.
Regarding the Ukrainian counter-offensive, Ukraine has made some small gains against well-entrenched Russian forces, but the progress has been slow due to the significant control Russia maintains over a significant portion of Ukrainian territory. US General Mark Milley emphasized that the Ukrainian drive is ongoing and far from a failure, but it is expected to be a long and challenging battle.
Additionally, Lukashenko humorously mentioned that the Wagner mercenaries, who are currently training Belarus’s army, have been expressing an interest in pushing across the border into Poland, a NATO member. However, there is no indication that Lukashenko is seriously considering such a move.
In response to the presence of Wagner forces near its border, Poland has deployed extra troops to bolster security along its frontier with Belarus. This decision comes after the mercenaries relocated to Belarus following a short-lived mutiny in Russia last month.