After a failed uprising by Wagner mercenaries, Yevgeny Prigozhin has traveled to Belarus, the country's leader Alexander Lukashenko said.
Franak Viacorka, a chief political adviser to Belarusian opposition leader Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya, told DW that Wagner group leader Yevgeny Prigozhin's arrival in Belarus was very dangerous for Belarusian society and independence, as well as for neighboring Poland, Lithuania, and Latvia.
"It's very likely that Prigozhin will not arrive alone, but he will bring his mercenaries, thousands of people who were participating in torture and killings of Ukrainians. And right now, together with [Belarusian ruler Alexander] Lukashenko, they can create the nuclear threat to our neighbors and to the entire continent," Viacorka said.
He added that nuclear weapons were delivered from Russia to Belarus during the last few weeks, and Lukashenko or Russian President Vladimir Putin might be willing to use them at some point.
Viacorka said that Belarusians are shocked by the news of Prigozhin's arrival. "We don't want Prigozhin's mercenaries, we don't want Russian troops. And we will be thinking how to get rid of them as soon as possible," he added.
According to the adviser, it's very likely repressions in Belarus will increase, and Wagner Group forces will likely end up taking on the role of defending Lukashenko.
"It makes our task task of liberation of Belarus very, very challenging," Viacorka said.
