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Select Committee · Foreign Affairs Committee

The Wagner Group and beyond: proxy Private Military Companies

Status: Closed Opened: 30 Mar 2022 Closed: 26 Apr 2024 19 recommendations 20 conclusions 1 report

This inquiry will explore the challenge posed by Private Military Companies (PMCs) that some states use as proxies in conflict and to destabilise fragile countries. It will also examine how the UK Government is responding. The inquiry will focus particularly on the Wagner Group. Read the call for evidence for more details about the inquiry

Clear

Reports

1 report
Title HC No. Published Items Response
Seventh Report - Guns for gold: the Wagner Network exposed HC 167 26 Jul 2023 39 Responded

Recommendations & Conclusions

3 items
3 Conclusion Seventh Report - Guns for gold: the Wag… Not Addressed

Host governments engage Wagner Network due to perceived security benefits, furthering regime objectives.

Host governments and other non-regime actors must perceive benefits from engaging with the Wagner Network, because they consider it the most effective form of protection and security. There are examples of its fighters furthering a regime’s security objectives, even if this meant neutering political opposition.

Government response. The government's response begins by stating 'Disagree' but then discusses the importance of close coordination on sanctions with the EU and US, and later mentions travel bans, none of which directly address the committee's observation regarding host governments' perceptions of …
Foreign and Commonwealth Office
16 Conclusion Seventh Report - Guns for gold: the Wag… Not Addressed

Ministerial knowledge and FCDO-Treasury coordination on Wagner sanctions waivers are insufficient.

The Minister had no specific knowledge of work within his Department to analyse whether Wagner activities undermine the financial impact of UK sanctions on the Russian war machine. Despite finding it “likely”, he could not confirm that the FCDO had had any input to HM Treasury’s unwise decision to issue …

Government response. The government's response outlines its general sanctions policy and recent designations against the Wagner Group but does not address the committee's specific concerns about ministerial knowledge, FCDO and Treasury coordination, or sanctions waivers for Prigozhin.
Foreign and Commonwealth Office
26 Recommendation Seventh Report - Guns for gold: the Wag… Not Addressed

Set out factors for determining priority countries for UK security partnerships.

In its response to this report, the Government should set out the factors it will assess in determining whether countries are priorities for UK security partnerships. These factors should include (but not be limited to): (Paragraph 71) (a) the UK’s capacity for influence in a specific country; (b) the level …

Government response. The government describes its existing security partnerships and support for African countries but does not explicitly set out the specific factors it assesses when determining priority countries for UK security partnerships as requested.
Foreign and Commonwealth Office

Oral evidence sessions

3 sessions
Date Witnesses
6 Feb 2023 Ben Fender OBE · Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office, Hazel Cameron · Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office, Leo Docherty · Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office View ↗
1 Nov 2022 Jason McCue · McCue Jury & Partners, Mikhail Khodorkovsky, Professor Jason Blazakis · Middlebury Institute of International Studies View ↗
19 Apr 2022 Christo Grozev · Bellingcat, Dr Sean McFate · Atlantic Council, Dr Sorcha MacLeod · University of Copenhagen View ↗

Correspondence

1 letter
DateDirectionTitle
15 Mar 2023 — Correspondence with the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State (Europe) followi…