The Kremlin said today that it is not monitoring Yevgeny Prigozhin, after the Belarusian president revealed that the head of Wagner is now in Russia rather than Belarus as stipulated in the deal that ended his rebellion.

“We are not monitoring his movements,” Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters of Prigozhin, adding that Russian President Vladimir Putin communicates “quite often” with his Belarusian counterpart, Alexander Lukashenko.

Peskov also declined to comment today on a possible cut in Russian gas supplies to Europe amid Russia’s dispute with Ukrainian energy company Naftogaz, Russia’s RIA news agency reported.

Earlier today, Lukashenko stated that Mr Yevgeny Prigozhin is no longer on the territory of Belarus, but in Saint Petersburgclarifying that the leader of Wagner, whose house was raided by the FSBis free and adding that Vladimir Putin “will not destroy Prigozhin”.

“As for Yevgeny Prigozhin, he is in St. Petersburg. He is not on the territory of Belarus…Where is he this morning? Maybe he went to Moscow in the morning…or somewhere else,” Lukashenko said during a press conference to Belarusian and foreign journalists.

“I know for sure that he is free“, he said, adding that he had “yesterday” a telephone conversation with the head of Wagner, who assured him that he would continue to work for Russia.

“And what will happen to him next? Do you think Putin has a grudge against him and will kill him tomorrow? That won’t happen“, he said.

According to flight log data, a jet linked to Prigozhin took off yesterday from St. Petersburg bound for Moscow and headed for southern Russia today.

Lukashenko stated that the issue of relocating Wagner units to Belarus has not been resolved and depends on the decisions of Russia and Wagner.

According to Alexander Lukashenko, Wagner fighters are also “in their camps” and not in Belarus “for now”.

“The fighters of the private military company Wagner are in their camps..in their permanent camps after they leave the front for rest” and not in Belarus “for now,” Lukashenko said, adding that his proposal to relocate the members of the private mercenary company to the territory of Belarus is valid.

“If the Russian government and the Wagner group find it necessary to settle a certain number of Wagner fighters in Belarus for rest or training (…) then I will implement my decision” to welcome them, he added.

“If there is a need to use this force (Wagner) in defense of the (Belarusian) government, it will be done immediately in any area. His experience will be used in Belarus,” he said.

The Belarusian president also stated that their presence does not constitute a danger for Belarus and that he does not believe that Wagner’s fighters will ever turn their weapons against his country.

“I do not believe that Wagner will rise up and turn its weapons against the Belarusian state,” he added.

Regarding the transfer of Russian tactical nuclear weapons to Belarus, Lukashenko said they would only be used for “defensive purposes”. “We are not planning to attack anyone with nuclear weapons,” he said, promising an immediate response if his country was attacked.