Recommendations & Conclusions
4 items
6
Conclusion
Seventh Report - Guns for gold: the Wag…
Acknowledged
Over the past year and a half, the Russia-Ukraine war eroded the Wagner Network’s deniability and Prigozhin’s public arguments with the Russian Ministry of Defence confirmed the network’s long-suspected links to the Russian state. The brutality of its fighters in Ukraine is appalling but not atypical. So long as the …
Government response. The government partially agrees with the observation, stating its International Development Strategy addresses conflict and fragility in low-income countries, with ODA allocations prioritising these areas, and an additional £2.5 billion over two years for refugees, while noting no plans to …
Foreign and Commonwealth Office
11
Conclusion
Seventh Report - Guns for gold: the Wag…
Acknowledged
The Wagner Network began its activities in 2014. By early 2022, when the Government began to invest greater resource in understanding the network, Wagner fighters had already undertaken military deployments in at least seven countries. It is deeply regrettable that it took this long, and that the Government continues to …
Government response. The government partially agrees with the conclusion, accepting the need to tackle Wagner and the value of declassifying intelligence where feasible. It highlights its efforts to expose Wagner's activities and states it has recently enhanced communication channels, particularly in Africa, …
Foreign and Commonwealth Office
22
Conclusion
Seventh Report - Guns for gold: the Wag…
Acknowledged
There is an opportunity to disrupt the Wagner Network at a time when its future is uncertain.
Government response. The government agrees there is an opportunity to tackle Wagner and describes existing efforts such as coordinated action with partners, declassification and sharing of intelligence, and stepped-up communications to expose the group's activities.
Foreign and Commonwealth Office
29
Conclusion
Seventh Report - Guns for gold: the Wag…
Acknowledged
The last decade has shown that the Wagner Network is highly effective at reconfiguring itself. We expect its activities to continue in some form, as they are too valuable, especially financially, to the Russian state to be lost. The question is not just what happens to the Wagner Network but …
Government response. The government agrees with the committee's assessment of the Wagner Network's adaptability and destabilizing impact, noting the broader trend of Russia using Private Military Security Companies as proxies. It commits to paying close attention to the network's evolution and exploiting …
Foreign and Commonwealth Office