Administration of US President Joe Biden is considering appointing the Wagner Corporationa private Russian military group, as a foreign terrorist organization amid ongoing efforts to impose costs on Russia for war in ukrainesaid a US official.
The official explained that no final decision has been made and it is unclear how far the administration is from being able to make this designation given the laborious legal process to make this decision.
The Wagner Corporation is a mercenary company that was heavily involved in the war in Ukraine. This group is often described as President Putin‘s off-the-book army. It has expanded its footprint globally since its founding in 2014. The group has been accused of committing war crimes in Africa, Syria and Ukraine.
The group was founded by a Russian tycoon, Yevgeny Prigozhin, which he admitted earlier this year. Prigozhin was so close to the Kremlin that he was known as Putin’s “Chef”
The group has been sanctioned by the United States, but the Biden administration intends to label the group a terrorist organization amid pressure – both from Ukrainians and Congress – to declare Russia a state sponsor of terrorism. due to the invasion of Ukraine and the continued attacks on civilians.
“As Ukraine continues to gain momentum on the battlefield, President Putin has focused his rage and fire on Ukrainian civilians,” U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken said at a news conference Wednesday. meeting of NATO foreign ministers in Bucharest, Romania. note that Putin’s goals are heat, water, and electricity. “This brutality against the Ukrainian people is barbaric.”
More background information: The Biden administration has so far opposed an attempt to designate Russia as a state sponsor of terrorism, arguing it would be a largely symbolic designation that could create obstacles when it comes to getting support. into Ukraine, especially through the Black Sea.
“We have to take into account the consequences, both expected and unintended. And that has led us to the approach we’ve taken here,” State Department spokesman Ned Price said earlier this year.
Conversations regarding Wagner are currently taking place among a small group of US officials, and no final decision has been made.
