Source · Select Committees · Foreign Affairs Committee
Recommendation 6
6
Acknowledged
Paragraph: 31
Wagner Network's links to the Russian state confirmed, but countries may still engage.
Conclusion
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 network survives in some form, we believe that countries may still turn to it in future. Many leaders— mostly in insecure environments in Africa—are likely already to have known the price of engaging the network when they decided to work with it.
Government Response Summary
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 reintroduce the FCAS spending commitment.
Paragraph Reference:
31
Government Response
Acknowledged
HM Government
Acknowledged
Partially agree. 27. We believe that it is not possible to end extreme poverty in low and middle-income countries without also tackling conflict and fragility. Issues of Fragile & Conflict Affected States are therefore central to the International Development Strategy (IDS), which aims to tackle the causes of crises and build the long-term foundations for lasting development. 28. Official Development Assistance (ODA) allocations are directed towards the strategic priorities of the IDS. Of the FCDO’s ten largest planned bilateral ODA allocations in 2023– 24 and 2024–25, eight are on the World Bank’s list of Fragile & Conflict Affected Situations. But we currently have no plans to reintroduce the FCAS spending commitment. 29. The Government is committed to spending 0.7% of Gross National Income on ODA once the fiscal situation allows. In July 2021 MPs approved two fiscal tests to be met before returning ODA to 0.7% - these were that, on a sustainable basis, the Government is no longer borrowing for day-to-day spending and that underlying debt is falling. At the Autumn Statement 2022, the Government provided an additional £2.5 billion ODA over two years to help meet the significant and unexpected costs associated with supporting refugees from Ukraine and Afghanistan. COORDINATION