In the decision, it was stated that Wagner “actively participated in military actions alongside the aggressor (Russia)”, claiming that he had carried out actions that could be considered “equivalent to terrorism” in Ukraine.
In the resolution, the term “Russia’s shadow power instrument” was used for the private military company Wagner, which was founded by businessman Yevgeniy Prigojin, who is known for his closeness to Russian President Vladimir Putin and was included in the sanctions list by the European Union and the USA.
In addition, it was stated in the decision that the group defined as a “terrorist organization” also operates in countries such as the Central African Republic, Sudan and Mali, and was defined as a “transnational criminal organization” by the US Treasury Department.
Other countries were also called to recognize Wagner as a “terrorist organization”.
In response to the decision, Prigojin, the founder of Wagner, shared on Telegram that “Lithuania is a microstate and the views of Lithuanian parliamentarians can hardly affect even the inhabitants of neighboring countries Latvia and Estonia”.
Prigojin also added that the adoption of the decision will not affect Wagner’s work in any way.