Lukashenko Claims Prigozhin Tried to Access Nuclear Button During Armed Rebellion

During an interview with well-known blogger Mario Nawfal, Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko stated that Yevgeny Prigozhin, the leader of the Wagner Group, was eager to reach for the nuclear button during the armed rebellion in Russia nearly two years ago.

Lukashenko discussed the events of that time and how his negotiations with Prigozhin helped to halt the uprising, which the blogger referred to as "a very frightening day."

Lukashenko elaborated on the international implications of those events, mentioning that his actions were highly regarded by Western intelligence agencies, including the CIA and MI6, which surprised him.

"This is a big issue, actually. My actions were evaluated by the West, which I found surprising. They noticed it, and I felt it too, but when the process began: Yevgeny Prigozhin was ready to reach for the nuclear button. The Westerners were concerned that during that period, he could overthrow the existing regime and seize nuclear weapons. For this, they thanked me privately," Lukashenko revealed new details about those events.

He reflected on his realization during that day, stating, "I understood it by mid-day, not immediately. I never thought that Prigozhin could descend into such madness. I knew him reasonably well for a long time; we had a good relationship. But for him to go to that extent… That was his inexperience. He should have understood that not just in Russia, but the Americans and the British would destroy him. They wouldn’t allow him to get to nuclear weapons. But he didn’t understand this. As we say, he was going directly to Moscow."