Source · Select Committees · Foreign Affairs Committee
Recommendation 8
8
Accepted
Paragraph: 39
Government prioritises military support to Ukraine for countering the Wagner Network.
Conclusion
Supporting Ukraine militarily is the Government’s priority when it comes to countering the Wagner Network. We fully support the continued supply of defence assistance and wider support to Ukraine as it fights to liberate itself from Russian illegal occupation. Through this, the UK has enabled Ukrainian Armed Forces to challenge Wagner fighters directly, often resulting in a high rate of attrition.
Government response summary AI-generated
The government agrees with the conclusion, welcoming the support for its priority. It outlines increased efforts to highlight Wagner's abuses, enhanced policy coordination, existing sanctions, and commits to consider further designations, improve sanctions enforcement, and explore additional measures to counter illicit finance.
Summary of the government's response below — read the verbatim text to verify.
Paragraph Reference:
39
Government Response
Accepted
HM Government · verbatim extract
Accepted
This step underlines our intent to act against Russian aggression in Ukraine, in which Wagner has played an important role, as well as against Wagner’s wider activities, which have been repeatedly linked to human rights violations. The Government judges that Wagner commits and participates in terrorism. This includes the use of serious violence against Ukrainian Armed Forces and against civilians to advance Russia’s political cause. Following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in 2022, Wagner Group’s forces were deployed as a force multiplier to support the Russian military, receiving financial, logistical and military support from the Russian state. Wagner Group played a central role in combat operations against Ukrainian Armed Forces to seize the city of Popasna in May 2022, and during the assault of Bakhmut, which was occupied by Russian forces by June 2023. Wagner Group has been implicated in serious acts of violence and damage to property while working in a variety of African countries, demonstrating Wagner’s broader involvement in terrorism.
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