Belarus strongman sows future peril with Wagner PR success

PARIS: Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko scored a propaganda victory by brokering the deal that staved off the threat of an internal armed conflict in Russia, but he may live to regret an accord that will see his country host the head of the private mercenary group Wagner, observers say.

In a surprise statement on Saturday night, Lukashenko's press service said he had spent all day in negotiations with Wagner boss Yevgeny Prigozhin, with the approval of Russian President Vladimir Putin, and had agreed to stop his advance toward Moscow.