On Monday, the European Union imposed sanctions on the Russian paramilitary group Wagner, as well as 8 people and 3 companies associated with it, for “destabilizing actions” carried out in Ukraine and several African countries, according to several European sources.
The decision was unanimously approved by the European Union foreign ministers meeting in Brussels to be published in the Official Journal of the European Union until it enters into force.
Sanctions include visa bans for those covered and a freeze on their EU assets, if any.
“Wagner is a private Russian military company that is used to destabilize security in Europe and in other neighboring countries, especially in Africa,” a European diplomat said.
Wagner’s presence was monitored in several countries in sub-Saharan Africa where Russia has a presence, notably in Mali and the Central African Republic, but it is also active in Libya, Syria and Ukraine, according to a European source.
European ministers also agreed on Monday a legal framework that would allow them to impose “sanctions on those who obstruct the transitional process in Mali.”
