ISTANBUL
The Kremlin said on Monday that the decision of the US to classify Wagner Group as a “transnational criminal organization” is unlikely to affect Russia or the group itself.
“I don’t think that this has any practical significance for our country, or even more so for PMC (private military company) Wagner,” Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said during a press briefing.
US National Security Council spokesperson John Kirby told reporters on Friday that, in addition to the Treasury Department's decision to label Wagner Group as a "significant transnational criminal organization," the Biden administration will impose economic penalties on the organization and its "support network" next week.
Known as a Russian private military company, Wagner Group reportedly operates in Ukraine, Syria, Libya, and other African countries, including Mali and the Central African Republic.
It is believed to have played an extensive role in the ongoing Moscow-Kyiv war, as well as in the annexation of Crimea in 2014.
The group has also been targeted in the raft of sanctions imposed on Russia by Western countries over the Ukraine war. Moscow, however, denies any link to the group.
Mobilization and presidential candidacy
Peskov noted during the press briefing that President Vladimir Putin’s decree on partial mobilization has been completed, and that it “also provides for other functions necessary for the Ministry of Defense.”
According to Peskov, the decree, in addition to the conscription of citizens for military service, also includes “other measures necessary to ensure the tasks of the armed forces - which are related to the performance of duties by military personnel.”
Russian Defense Minister Sergey Shoygu reported to Putin last October that the process of partial mobilization was completed, effectively calling up 300,000 reservists into service with no additional tasks being planned.
Peskov also noted that Putin has not commenced with any actions with regard to the upcoming Russian presidential elections in 2014 due to his schedule.
"It's still early, the campaign has not yet begun. There are a lot of current affairs in the Kremlin, the president has a very active schedule and a busy agenda," Peskov said.
He did not respond to questions about whether Putin said he would run for the presidency, but said “work continues within the normal routine work schedule."
Ukraine
Commenting on talks in Europe regarding Germany’s reluctance to provide Ukraine with Leopard 2 tanks, Peskov said the tensions rising among NATO members show “nervousness among the members of the alliance.”
“All the legal balancing acts that we are seeing now, the exchange of statements between European capitals, … all suggest that nervousness among the members of the alliance is constantly rising and growing. But here, of course, all the countries that, in one way or another, take part, directly or indirectly, in the pumping of weapons and in raising the technological level of Ukraine, are all responsible for this,” Peskov said.
Pressure has been mounting on Germany to provide Ukraine with Leopard 2 battle tanks, but Berlin has so far steered clear of any commitment with Defense Minister Boris Pistorius noting the country was trying to balance "all the pros and cons" of such deliveries.
Peskov further noted that negotiations between Moscow and Kyiv for a possible cease-fire are now impossible, since “there are no conditions for these negotiations at the moment, neither de facto nor de jure."
"We hear statements from Kyiv, we know the legal justification for the impossibility of negotiations on the part of the Ukrainian regime, so, one de facto thing can be recognized and there are no conditions for such negotiations," Peskov said.
He also noted that there are no plans for Putin to meet with International Atomic Energy Agency Director Rafael Grossi, but that dialogue continues at the expert level.
