Britain is ready to formally include the militia group Wagner in the list of terrorist organizations, alongside al-Qaeda and the Islamic State (ISIS). The Times writes it quoting a British government source and speaking of a measure to exert further pressure on Russia. The decision would be ”imminent” and should be formalized in the coming weeks, adds the source.
Likewise, the 331 French deputies unanimously voted for a resolution asking the European Union to include the Wagner group on its list of terrorist organisations.
These measures would make it a criminal offense to belong to the group led by Yevgeny Prigozhin, attend its meetings, encourage its support or wear the group’s logo in public. There are also financial sanctions against the group, which would therefore have difficulty raising funds, continues the Times.
The resolution voted by the French Parliament has instead the aim of ”strengthening the legal instruments against the Wagner group. Adding it to the EU list would affect all the stakeholders, the banks, which make its activity possible”, said Benjamin Haddad, a deputy belonging to President Emmanuel Macron’s party and one of the authors of the text. The resolution is not binding but sends “a political and symbolic message,” Haddad said.
