Select committee: Foreign Affairs Committee
Recommendation 26
Seventh Report - Guns for gold: the Wagner Network exposed
Published 26 Jul 2023
Addressed to Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office
Foreign Affairs Committee The Wagner Group and beyond: proxy Private Military Companies All items in this report Report on parliament.uk ↗ Inquiry on parliament.uk ↗
Recommendation (the committee's words)
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 of security challenge faced by a country (in the short, medium and long term); (c) the level of demand for a bilateral/multilateral security partnership within a country; 56 Guns for gold: the Wagner Network exposed (d) the possible regional implications of the country’s ‘capture’ by a Russian or other malign proxy; and (e) the level of willingness on both sides to uphold transparency and standards of good governance as part of any future partnership.
From: Foreign Affairs Committee, Seventh Report - Guns for gold: the Wagner Network exposed (HC 167), 26 July 2023
Government response
The government responded to the whole report on 30 October 2023 (deadline 26 September 2023).
Summary written by Accountability Index from the government's response. It is not the government's own words.The Government responds to the Committee's recommendations by agreeing with some, partially agreeing with others and disagreeing with one, and says it has already proscribed Wagner Group as a terrorist organisation.
- On proscription, it "agrees" with the Committee's recommendation and says the order added Wagner Group to the list of proscribed organisations under the Terrorism Act 2000, in force from 15 September.
- It disagrees with a specific mechanism for coordinating Wagner sanctions with the US and EU, stating that existing mechanisms already enable close coordination, though it "will, however, keep the option of a specific mechanism for Wagner under review".
- On sanctions it partially agrees, saying its ability to sanction "depends on being able to build individual cases in line with the statutory requirements" and that it "will consider" the Committee's appendices in detail when considering further action.
- On aid, it partially agrees: it is committed to 0.7% of Gross National Income on ODA "once the fiscal situation allows", but says it currently has "no plans to reintroduce the FCAS spending commitment".