US to postpone new sanctions against Wagner Group amid fears of being on Putin's side – WSJ
The US Department of State has decided to postpone the planned imposition of sanctions against the gold mining business of Wagner Private Military Company (PMC) in Africa.
Source: Wall Street Journal, citing sources
Details: the State Department intended to announce additional sanctions against the alleged "gold business" of the Wagner PMC in Africa.
However, the US reportedly plans to postpone the new sanctions.
"Washington does not want to appear to be taking sides in this," the WSJ quoted an informed source.
Previously: In May, the US Treasury Department announced the imposition of sanctions against Ivan Maslov, the head of the Wagner PMC in Mali, after the group's attempts to transfer weapons to Russia were revealed.
Background:
- On the evening of 23 June, Wagner Group leader Yevgeny Prigozhin claimed that the regular Russian army had launched a missile strike on the Wagner mercenaries’ rear camps. He therefore deployed 25,000 of his mercenaries "to restore justice".
- Prigozhin claimed that his forces had taken control of military facilities in Rostov-on-Don, including the air base, and were heading "to Moscow" and that his soldiers had shot down three Russian helicopters. Wagner mercenaries also seized military facilities in the Russian city of Voronezh.
- In an emergency address on 24 June, Russian President Vladimir Putin said that Russia was "fighting for survival" and that attempts were being made to "organise a rebellion" in the country.
- UK Defence Intelligence reported that Wagner Group fighters were aiming to reach Moscow.
- On the afternoon of 24 June, Russian media reported that the Office of the President of the Russian Federation anticipated that Yevgeny Prigozhin’s Wagner Group fighters were likely to reach Moscow’s outskirts in the next few hours, with fighting expected near Russia’s capital. Ukrainian intelligence had information that Putin had urgently left Moscow for his residence in Valdai.
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