The European Union slapped sanctions on Russian private military contractor the Wagner Group on Monday, accusing it of covert activities, killings and human rights abuses in several countries as eastern member states warned that Moscow may be preparing for war.
The EU accused the Wagner Group of extrajudicial executions, torture, looting, the intimidation of civilians and general destabilising activities in countries including Libya, Syria, Ukraine, the Central African Republic, Sudan and Mozambique.
"The activities of this group reflect Russia hybrid warfare. They present a threat and create instability in a number of countries around the world," EU foreign affairs chief Josep Borrell said after the sanctions were agreed.
The decision imposes an asset freeze and a travel ban on the Wagner Group itself as well as eight individuals and three entities associated with it, while cutting them off from any financing from within the EU.
Moscow denies any connection to the Wagner Group, but EU officials believe it to be linked to Russian state security services.
The EU presented the decision as showing that it was prepared to act to dissuade Russia from invading Ukraine, something that the United States and countries on the EU's eastern border have warned may be imminent due to a Russian military build-up along the border.
"We are convinced that Russia is actually preparing for all-out war against Ukraine, and it's an unprecedented event, probably since the second World War," Lithuanian foreign minister Gabrielius Landsbergis told journalists ahead of a meeting of the 27 foreign ministers.
‘Blackmail of Europe’
When asked about Russian proposals for changes to diplomatic and security agreements regarding Ukraine and Georgia as a way to de-escalate tensions, Mr Landsbergis described it as "strategic leveraging".
"They are saying: there will be war, unless ... We cannot give in to this blackmail of Europe, " he said.
"The security architecture in the case of Ukraine and Georgia was chosen by its people. It was not imposed by the West, it was not imposed by Nato, it was not imposed by the US. It was chosen by its people, and we have to respect the wishes of people for the direction that they chose for their countries."
Officials have begun work sketching out potential further sanctions as a way to dissuade Russia from any potential move against Ukraine, which it invaded in 2014, annexing the Crimean peninsula, which remains occupied.
EU national leaders are expected to discuss the issue further when they meet in Brussels later this week.
Speaking to The Irish Times, Minister for Foreign Affairs Simon Coveney expressed hope that an invasion was "unlikely to happen".
“This is effectively a raising of tensions by Russia, to try to get concessions on other issues,” Mr Coveney said.
“But certainly should it involve a military invasion of Ukraine – apart from the tragedy of that in terms of the human loss of life – I think it would fundamentally change the relationship between the EU and Russia,” he added. “I think the price is so high that it’s very unlikely to happen. But you can’t be sure.”
