“When talking for the second or third time, I warned him. I already see that he is ready to back down, but I warn him: “Eugene, no bloodshed.
As soon as you deliberately (inadvertently) kill at least one person, especially a civilian, that’s it, there will be no negotiations with you and I won’t talk to you.” He swore to me. We, he says, have no such goal, and I swear to you that this will not happen….
He told me: “Alexander Grigorievich, I will not demand from the president that he hand over Shoigu and Gerasimov, and I will not even ask for a meeting,” I said: “Well, good. This is a very good step. There is no need to strain situation, to demand the impossible.. The next condition, the fulfillment of which was agreed upon during the negotiations by Yevgeny Prigozhin, is to stop the further movement of the PMC convoy to Moscow …At five o’clock in the evening he called me and said: “Alexander Grigorievich, I accept all your conditions. But what should I do? We stop – they will start to wet us.” I say: “They won’t start. I guarantee you. I take it upon myself.” …We were in contact with the leadership of Russia, the FSB was mainly concerned with this issue, with Bortnikov. I just insistently asked not to do this. Bortnikov is a smart person. He said: “Alexander Grigorievich, well, I’m not a fool, I understand what could happen… If they stop somewhere, the column will shrink… It will gather in a heap… So that there would be no, you know, desire and temptation to take her too here to cover. They promised: this won’t happen. I told Prigozhin: “This is a guarantee” – “What’s next?” – “To the point that I will take you to Belarus and guarantee you complete safety. And to your guys, who advanced here in this column.” – “Yes, I believe you. I believe.” – “Okay, we will act in this direction.”
“ВЧК ОГПУ”
