Source · Select Committees · Foreign Affairs Committee
Recommendation 34
34
Accepted
Paragraph: 85
Government remains complacent regarding states' malign use of Private Military Companies.
Conclusion
The Government appears remarkably complacent about the growing practice of states using PMCs for malign purposes. Although the expansion of the Wagner Network and the harm it has caused appears to have led to some re-examination of the Government’s approach (paragraph 34), we have no detailed information to understand the Government’s new approach to countering state threats.
Government Response Summary
The government partially agrees with the observation, detailing its new four-strand approach to countering state threats from organisations like Wagner, which involves building deeper understanding of PMSCs, increasing resilience, deepening cooperation, and using the full range of powers available.
Paragraph Reference:
85
Government Response
Accepted
HM Government
Accepted
Partially agree. 36. As outlined in the Integrated Review Refresh, our new approach to countering state threats encompasses four strands: a. protecting ourselves, allies, and partners from the impact of this activity; b. engaging domestically and internationally to raise awareness of state threat activity and to deepen cooperation on countering it; c. building a deeper understanding of states’ activities and capabilities, as well as routes to respond effectively; and, d. where appropriate, competing directly with state threat actors by contesting their attempts to undermine the rules-based international order and erode our security, prosperity, and values. 37. This approach provides a framework for responding to emerging threats as well as traditional ones. As part of this new approach, we will take a whole of government view, using our full range of powers available to tackle the threats faced from organisations such as the Wagner Group. 38. On PMSCs specifically, lines of effort include: building a deeper understanding of activity and capability of PMSCs and their links to states; increasing our resilience and protecting the UK from the threat of PMSC activity; deepening cooperation with our partners and allies to increase international effort against malign use of PMSCs, as well as working in international fora to prevent the use of proxy PMSCs from being normalised; and, contesting the ability of PMSCs to operate in malign ways by using the full range of powers available, such as sanctions and proscription. 39. China has not followed the Russian example in its use of PMSCs and we are unaware of China using PMSCs to support military operations. While it has used private security contractors to protect its overseas infrastructure and the assets of Chinese companies around the world, this is distinct to the activities of Russian proxy PMSCs such as Wagner. We agree with the Committee that it is important to track the development of both Russian and Chinese PMSCs.