The European Parliament adopted a resolution on Thursday calling on the European Union (EU) to impose sanctions on Russia’s private security company Vagner, including travel bans and asset freezes.
MEPs “condemn in the strongest possible terms the heinous crimes committed by Russia’s militarized organization Wagner and its associated private military structures in various conflict zones,” the resolution said.
The resolution was adopted by 585 votes to 40, with 43 abstentions.
MEPs said the Russian state was responsible for funding and training these militarized groups, managing them and conducting their operations. They said Vagner’s actions embodied “the spread of Russian influence in conflict zones.”
MEPs insisted that Vagner and other Russian-led militarized contractors be considered “state-authorized organizations in Russia.”
The resolution notes that Vagner is present in many conflicts around the world, especially in Ukraine, Syria, Sudan, Mozambique, Libya, the Central African Republic and Venezuela.
MEPs welcomed the statement by EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Joseph Borrell that EU foreign ministers had agreed to extend sanctions against Russia’s private security company Vagner for its involvement in a series of conflicts.
The resolution also calls on all countries that use the services of Vagner and its subsidiaries, especially the Central African Republic, to sever any ties with the company and its employees.
In its resolution, the European Parliament called on the European Commission (EC) to ensure that under no circumstances could European recipient countries use EU funds to fund private security companies “with such a criminal record in the field of human rights”.
The European Parliament’s foreign policy resolutions are recommendatory, but they are most often implemented by EU and national decisions.
–
