Warsaw [Poland], July 29 : Poland and Lithuania are considering blocking their respective borders with Belarus amid concerns about the presence of the Wagner mercenary group there, Al Jazeera reported, quoting a Lithuanian deputy interior minister.
Following their brief insurrection against the senior military brass of Russia, the Wagner fighters have been staying in Belarus.
“The considerations are real. The possibility of closing the border exists,” Arnoldas Abramavicius told reporters regarding the border closure, according to Al Jazeera.
Alexander Lukashenko, the president of Belarus, took credit for arranging the agreement between Prigozhin and Russian President Vladimir Putin that put an end to the insurrection. Since then, Lukashenko has invited the Wagner forces to Belarus to assist in the military training.
Recently, the United States imposed sanctions on three Malian government and military officials, including Defence Minister, for "facilitating the deployment and expansion" of Russia's Wagner Group's activities in Mali.
In a statement on Monday this week, the US Department of the Treasury said that it has imposed sanctions on three Malian transition government and military officials Colonel Sadio Camara (Defence Minister of Mali), Colonel Alou Boi Diarra (Mali’s Chief of Staff of the Air Force) and Lieutenant Colonel Adama Bagayoko (Malian Air Force Deputy Chief of Staff) for facilitating the deployment and expansion of the Wagner Group's activities in Mali.
It further stated that this development is based on evidence showing that these Malian officials have contributed to the Wagner Group’s malicious activities in Mali.
Earlier in June, the Wagner chief, Yevgeny Prigozhin, sent armed fighters on a march towards Moscow, however, later, when Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko mediate to avert the bloodbath due to his longstanding ties with Prigozhin, the mercenary forces halted their march towards Moscow.
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