Ukraine war: Wagner will not fight for Russia, Ukraine orders evacuation, new Wagner base in Belarus

Wagner mercenaries will stop fighting in Ukraine, the head of Russia's defence committee Andrei Kartapolov said on Thursday. 

The decision comes after mercenary chief Yevgeny Prigozhin refused to sign contracts bringing Wagner under Russia's defence ministry. 

Progpzhin staged a rebellion against Moscow over the weekend, which ended with a deal exiling him and his force to Belarus. 

Kartapolov said the mercenary leader had been notified of Kremlin's decision.

"As you know, a few days before the attempted mutiny, the defence ministry said that all formations performing combat tasks must sign contracts with the defence ministry. Everyone started to implement this decision, except Prigozhin," said Kartapolov.

The Wagner group will no longer receive state funding, he added. 

Prigozhin has previously refused to collaborate with Russian Defence Minister Sergei Shoigu, criticising his lack of support in Wagner's operations, especially in the bloody battle for Bakhmut.

The Wagner chief said on 11 June that Shoigu was not capable enough to manage his military unit.

Former US President Donald Trump said on Thursday Putin has been "somewhat weakened" by an aborted mutiny. 

The longtime admirer of the Russian President added now was the moment for the US to try and broker a negotiated peace settlement between Kyiv and Moscow. 

"I want people to stop dying over this ridiculous war," Trump told the Reuters news agency in a telephone interview.

He did not rule out the Ukrainian government feeding some territory to Russia in order to stop the war - something Ukraine has flatly ruled out. 

Trump added everything would be "subject to negotiation" if he were president, but Ukrainians have "earned a lot of credit" defending their homeland against the