Belarusian authorities have announced the end of a 36-hour armed standoff with thousands of Russian-backed rebels who attempted to overthrow President Alexander Lukashenko.
The rebels, led by a notorious mercenary leader known as Wagner, surrendered on Tuesday after Russian President Vladimir Putin intervened and brokered a deal to end the crisis.
Putin said the coup attempt was a “serious threat” to Belarus’ sovereignty and stability, and could have triggered a “civil war” in the former Soviet republic.
The Kremlin said Putin had spoken to Lukashenko and Wagner by phone and convinced them to lay down their arms and cooperate with the investigation.
Wagner, whose real name is Yevgeny Prigozhin, is a close ally of Putin and has been accused of orchestrating various military operations and disinformation campaigns in Africa, the Middle East and Europe.
He is also under U.S. sanctions for his alleged role in interfering in the 2016 presidential election.
The Belarusian government said it had closed the criminal case against Wagner and his men, who were accused of terrorism, treason and illegal possession of weapons.
It said they would be deported to Russia as soon as possible.
Lukashenko, who has ruled Belarus since 1994, thanked Putin for his “decisive” action and said he was ready to deepen the integration between the two countries.
He also blamed Western countries for supporting the rebels and trying to destabilize his regime.
The U.S. and the European Union have imposed sanctions on Lukashenko and his allies for cracking down on peaceful protests that erupted after a disputed election last year.
They have also expressed concern about the human rights situation in Belarus and called for dialogue and democratic reforms.
