June 25 (UPI) — In a statement on Twitter, Lithuanian President Gitanas Nausėda expressed his concern that Belarus has become a “safe haven for war criminals” following a deal brokered by Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko with Yevgeny Prigozhin, the leader of the Wagner Group of mercenaries, who recently rebelled against Russian leadership.
Nausėda added, “At the State Defense Council today, we took a close look at developments in Russia whose regime is increasingly vulnerable. We also noted that Belarus has become a haven for war criminals.”
“Ensuring the control of NATO borders and the defense of its eastern flank is of utmost importance!”
Belarusian officials confirmed to CNN on Sunday that they currently do not know the whereabouts of the mercenary boss. Russian regulators have blocked access to the VKontakte social network page for Concord Group, the catering and consulting company owned by Prigozhin.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky announced in a statement on Sunday that he had spoken with U.S. President Joe Biden, Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, and Polish President Andy Duda. Zelensky emphasized the upcoming NATO summit in Vilnius, where decisions regarding Ukraine’s security will be made.
Zelensky stated, “We are making every effort to ensure that the summit holds significant meaning. The content is robust. Positive decisions for Ukraine in Vilnius are the only possible positive decisions for our collective security in Europe and within the NATO alliance.”
Last year, Zelensky thanked neighboring countries, including Lithuania, for their support after Ukraine applied to join NATO. In a joint statement, the presidents of several countries expressed their support for Ukraine’s sovereignty and territorial integrity, condemning Russia’s violation of international law.
“We firmly stand behind the 2008 Bucharest NATO Summit decision regarding Ukraine’s future membership,” they stated.
Prior to the upcoming NATO summit, President Joe Biden met with NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg to discuss increasing support for Ukraine. Sweden is expected to join the alliance at the summit.
