White House Compromise
Two Bloomberg sources who want to remain anonymous, saidThe US presidential administration has reportedly decided whether the Russian Wagner PMC group will be considered a terrorist organization due to its participation in the military special operation in Ukraine.
“The management has not made a final decision. <...> Designating Wagner as a foreign terrorist organization would allow the United States to prosecute the group and its members and pursue their worldwide presence,” the article states.
The sources said that imposing sanctions on the Wagner PMCs could help the White House “alleviate pressure from some US lawmakers who urged the Biden administration to recognize Russia as a “state sponsoring terrorism”.
The authors of the material recalled that in July, the Senate unanimously passed a non-binding resolution in which parliamentarians called on the American leader to designate Russia as a country that supports terrorism. U.S. officials later said that the current sanctions had had the foreseen consequences after the country was recognized as a terrorist. They also fear that humanitarian operations with the Russian Federation may also be hindered if this status is granted to Russia.
The article also cites a June publication by two former Central Intelligence Agency employees calling for the Wagner PMC to be designated as a foreign terrorist organization. In their view, this will “activate a critical component of US criminal law.”
“This is an important and necessary step in ending the Wagner Group’s usefulness and therefore existence to the Kremlin,” wrote James Patrila and Phil Wasilewski.
“Group continues to grow stronger”
An unnamed State Department spokesperson declined to confirm to Bloomberg that the White House was considering the status of the Wagner PMC group, but assured that the United States “will continue to hold those responsible for Russia’s war accountable.”
The authors of the material recalled that Prigozhin and Wagner are currently under the sanctions of the United States, Great Britain and the European Union, but “the group only continues to gain power and influence.”
“Western authorities are also increasingly concerned about the Wagner group’s presence in parts of Africa. In March, the United Nations announced that it was investigating human rights abuses by Russian PMC mercenaries stationed in the West African country of Mali that caused France and its allies to withdraw their troops.
Objection of European lawmakers
11 November Deputies sent A letter to Charles Michel, President of the European Council, and Petr Fiala, Czech Prime Minister, calling for the Wagner PMC to be recognized as a terrorist organization.
They offered to secure this status for Russian mercenaries because of “continuing violations of international law in Ukraine”.
In response to the publication of Politico, the founder of Wagner PMC, on the page of the Concord company on VKontakte, a message appeared stating that Yevgeny Prigozhin held a meeting with the commanders and told them the “sad news” about the “dispersal”. European Parliament.
“I do not know what law guided the European Parliament, but according to our legislation, from today we declare that the European Parliament is dissolved,” said Prigogine.
On November 22, the CYBER FRONT Z Telegram channel published a video of Prigozhin sending a sledgehammer placed in a violin case to the European Parliament.
The title of the video explains that “under the violin, an integral accessory of the ‘musicians’, is a branded sledgehammer, most likely with traces of fake blood.”
“The information case has been handed over to the representative of CYBER FRONT Z for submission to the European Parliament,” the Concorde press service told VKontakte.
Source: Gazeta
Emma Matthew is a political analyst for “Social Bites”. With a keen understanding of the inner workings of government and a passion for politics, she provides insightful and informative coverage of the latest political developments.