New Delhi: The French parliament has called on the EU to formally label the Russian mercenary group Wagner as terrorists, as the United Kingdom reportedly is also poised to designate the group a “terror organisation”.

France’s parliament unanimously passed a non-binding resolution aimed at encouraging the 27 members of the EU to put Wagner on its official list of terrorist organisations.

“Wherever they work, Wagner members spread instability and violence,” Aljazeera quoted French legislator Benjamin Haddad as saying in the parliament.

“They kill and torture. They massacre and pillage. They intimidate and manipulate with almost total impunity,” he said.

Wagner fighters are not simple mercenaries driven by an “appetite for money” but they “follow a broad strategy, from Mali to Ukraine, of supporting the aggressive policies of President (Vladimir) Putin’s regime towards our democracies,” he added.

Authorities in France have also blamed the group for running anti-French propaganda operations in west Africa, particularly Mali.

Haddad said he hoped the resolution would encourage the 27 members of the EU to put Wagner on its official list of “terrorist organisations”.

In a video message, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy praised the French parliament and urged other countries to follow France’s example.

“Special thanks to the French parliament for today’s decision to recognise the Russian pseudo-private Wagner group as a terrorist organisation,” Zelenskyy said.

“This is something that should be adopted by the entire world – every manifestation of terrorism must be destroyed, and every terrorist must be convicted,” he said.

Wagner designation ‘imminent’ 

According to Times newspaper, Britain is set to formally classify Russian mercenary force Wagner Group as a terrorist organisation, which would impose financial sanctions and other penalties, as a way of increasing pressure on Russia.

Wagner mercenaries have spearheaded Russia’s months-long assault on the Ukrainian city of Bakhmut.

The Home Office has been building a case for two months and proscription was “imminent” within weeks, the newspaper reported, citing a government source.

Implications of being listed as terror organisation

Being listed as a terrorist organisation means EU members could freeze assets of the Wagner group and its members, with European companies and citizens barred from dealing with the group.

Prigozhin had his assets in the European Union frozen in 2020 and was placed on a visa blacklist over the deployment of Wagner fighters to war-torn Libya, a decision he unsuccessfully appealed.

The French foreign minister, Catherine Colonna, conceded to lawmakers on Tuesday that legally the EU terrorist label would not have any “direct supplemental effect” on the group. But “we should not underestimate the symbolic importance of such a designation, nor the dissuasive effect that it could have on states tempted to turn” to Wagner.

In the UK, If enacted, it would be a criminal offence to belong to Wagner, attend its meetings, encourage support for it or carry its logo in public, The Times said.

The designation would also impose financial sanctions on the group, and there would be implications for Wagner’s ability to raise money if any funds went through British financial institutions, the newspaper added.

There has been no evidence that Wagner or individuals linked to the group are operating in Britain since the war in Ukraine started, the report said.

However, there had been “suspicions” the group helped move money out of Britain after financial sanctions were imposed on Russian oligarchs and allies of Russian President Vladimir Putin, the newspaper said, citing a government source.

Britain’s Home Office said it was looking into the Times report.

Bakhmut has been under Russian attack for more than nine months, with Wagner Group mercenaries leading repeated attempts to advance on what was once a city of 70,000.

The group’s leader, Yevgeny Prigozhin, said in a social media message on Monday that his troops were beginning to receive ammunition needed to press their advance. Troops had advanced a maximum of 130 metres (400 feet) amid fierce fighting, Prigozhin said.

With inputs from agencies

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