Borrell warns of sanctions against the Wagner Group

The European Union is planning to draw up a list of possible sanctions against a Russian mercenary group involved in multiple global conflicts, EU High Representative Josep Borrell said.

After chairing a meeting of EU foreign ministers on November 15, Borrell said that experts had been tasked with developing proposals for sanctions against the Wagner Group and that the issue would be discussed when foreign ministers meet again in December.

"There is consensus to move forward in order to take restrictive measures against this group," Borrell said in Brussels.

Western governments have accused Moscow of using the Wagner Group as a paramilitary force in conflicts in Ukraine, the Middle East and Africa. Russia denies any connection between the government and the Wagner Group.

The Wagner Group is believed to be led by Russian businessman Yevgeny Prigozhin, a close associate of President Vladimir Putin. Last year, the EU blacklisted Prigozhin for his involvement in Libya.

The potential sanctions against the Wagner Group come after reports that Mali's military junta was in discussions about deploying its mercenaries in the West African country, something opposed by former colonial power France and its allies.

Borrell said EU foreign ministers had also agreed on sanctions against Mali's military leadership after the coup aimed at putting pressure on the junta to restore civilian rule.

In June, Colonel Assimi Goita was sworn in as president of a transitional government after carrying out his second coup in nine months. Elections are due to be held in February, but the EU fears they will be delayed.

France has been at the forefront of a broader counter-terrorism operation in the Sahel region, with around 5000 troops, since another coup in Mali in 2012 that helped fuel an Islamist insurgency in the north.

But France earlier this year outlined plans to reduce that force to 2,500 to 3,000 troops in the coming years, in a move criticized by Mali's military leaders.

There are also United Nations peacekeeping missions and a European Union training program in the West African country.

French Foreign Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian told reporters at a meeting of EU foreign ministers that any sanctions would also be imposed on companies working with the Wagner Group.