The government has been warned by a cross-party group of MPs that Wagner Group poses a “serious national security threats to the UK and its allies” and Britain must move “faster and harder.”
The Commons Foreign Affairs Committee new 82-page report warns that sanctions on Yevgeny Prigozhin’s Wagner Group are “underwhelming in the extreme,” and Downing Street must “move faster and harder” and proscribe them as a terrorist orgnisation.
Foreign Affairs committee chair Alicia Kearns said, “This is a landmark report and exposes the dark underbelly of a network that until recently thrived in the shadows.
“In the 10 years since the Wagner Network’s formation, the UK Government has lacked a coherent strategy and efforts to meaningfully tackle Wagner have been non-existent.
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“This has allowed the network to grow, spread its tentacles deep into Africa, and exploit countries on their knees due to conflict or instability.
“Where the West moves out, Wagner moves in, seeing opportunity in suffering and profit in chaos.
“Today’s report lays bare the activities of the network in seven key countries, where there is clear evidence of Wagner operations.”
MPs have described Wagner as “highly effective” who pose a “serious national security threats to the UK and its allies.”
Kearns added, “In the wake of the attempted coup last month, the future manifestations of the Wagner Network are uncertain. With the network at its most vulnerable – and the clock ticking – the time for action is now.”
An FCDO Spokesperson said, “We have heavily sanctioned the Wagner Group, including its leader Yevgeny Prigozhin and several key commanders, limiting their travel and freezing their assets.”
“The UK has been one of the leading suppliers of military aid to Ukraine, who have been fighting Wagner forces on the battlefield.”
“We continue to work with our allies to expose and counter their destabilising activities around the world.”
