The United States will impose new sanctions on the Wagner mercenary group in Russia.

The United States has decided to designate the Russian private military group Wagner as a major transnational criminal organization, the White House said Friday, a decision that will increase the number of nations and institutions that may be prevented from doing business with the company.
“Our message to any company considering providing support to Wagner is simply this: Wagner is a criminal organization that commits widespread human rights violations,” White House national security spokesman John Kirby told reporters at a press conference. sanctions, will come into force next week. Designating Wagner as a transnational criminal organization will freeze the company's assets in the United States and prevent Americans from providing money, goods or services to the group.
Mr. Kirby said Wagner, a mercenary force led by a close ally of Russian President Vladimir V. Putin, has established itself as a "rival center of power" in the Russian military, and added that the group's founder, Yevgeny Prigozhin, oversaw the deployment of some 50,000 men to Ukraine, a number that largely includes contractors and newly released convicts.
Wagner's mercenaries played an important role in the battle for eastern Ukraine and also conducted military operations in Africa.
"Russia is looking for weapons in foreign countries, including through Wagner,” Mr. Kirby said.
Mr. Kirby said North Korean officials denied supplying weapons to Wagner, then posted a photo showing Russian train cars traveling between the two countries in November. He said U.S. officials had referred the photos to the United Nations Security Council and he expects additional sanctions to be imposed on the company after the panel reviews evidence of violations of UN Security Council resolutions. United Nations.
"While we believe the amount of material delivered to Wagner has not changed the dynamics of the battlefield in Ukraine," Mr. Kirby, "we expect him to continue to receive North Korean weapons systems."

World Jan 20, 2023 0 60 Add to Reading List

The United States will impose new sanctions on the Wagner mercenary group in Russia.

The United States has decided to designate the Russian private military group Wagner as a major transnational criminal organization, the White House said Friday, a decision that will increase the number of nations and institutions that may be prevented from doing business with the company.

“Our message to any company considering providing support to Wagner is simply this: Wagner is a criminal organization that commits widespread human rights violations,” White House national security spokesman John Kirby told reporters at a press conference. sanctions, will come into force next week. Designating Wagner as a transnational criminal organization will freeze the company's assets in the United States and prevent Americans from providing money, goods or services to the group.

Mr. Kirby said Wagner, a mercenary force led by a close ally of Russian President Vladimir V. Putin, has established itself as a "rival center of power" in the Russian military, and added that the group's founder, Yevgeny Prigozhin, oversaw the deployment of some 50,000 men to Ukraine, a number that largely includes contractors and newly released convicts.

Wagner's mercenaries played an important role in the battle for eastern Ukraine and also conducted military operations in Africa.

"Russia is looking for weapons in foreign countries, including through Wagner,” Mr. Kirby said.

Mr. Kirby said North Korean officials denied supplying weapons to Wagner, then posted a photo showing Russian train cars traveling between the two countries in November. He said U.S. officials had referred the photos to the United Nations Security Council and he expects additional sanctions to be imposed on the company after the panel reviews evidence of violations of UN Security Council resolutions. United Nations.

"While we believe the amount of material delivered to Wagner has not changed the dynamics of the battlefield in Ukraine," Mr. Kirby, "we expect him to continue to receive North Korean weapons systems."