Russian Wagner Group Council Of Commanders Issues Statement: U.S., UK, And Canada Are Terrorist States; We Will Assist The Peoples Of These Oppressed Countries Resist Their Terrorist Governments

A social media account, published, on February 6, 2023, a photo of a document signed by the head of the "Wagner PMC" Yevgeny Prigozhin. The document is a statement by the "Council of Commanders of Wagner PMC" that delegitimizes the governments of the United States, Great Britain, and Canada and deems the three nations "terrorist states." Wagner PMC (Private Military Company), aka Wagner Group, is a Russian paramilitary force, formally unaffiliated with the Russian military, that has been operating in Syria, Africa, and Ukraine in support of the Russian aims there.

YOU MUST BE SUBSCRIBED TO THE MEMRI DOMESTIC TERRORISM THREAT MONITOR (DTTM) TO READ THE FULL REPORT. GOVERNMENT AND MEDIA CAN REQUEST A COPY BY WRITING TO DTTMSUBS@MEMRI.ORG WITH THE REPORT TITLE IN THE SUBJECT LINE. PLEASE INCLUDE FULL ORGANIZATIONAL DETAILS AND AN OFFICIAL EMAIL ADDRESS IN YOUR REQUEST. NOTE: WE ARE ABLE TO PROVIDE A COPY ONLY TO MEMBERS OF GOVERNMENT, LAW ENFORCEMENT, MEDIA, AND ACADEMIA, AND TO SUBSCRIBERS; IF YOU DO NOT MEET THESE CRITERIA PLEASE DO NOT REQUEST.  

The image depicts the statement dated February 5, with Yevgeny Prigozhin's signature (in unknown capacity), as well as the official logo of the Wagner Group on top. The image to the left shows a masked person giving a gesture associated with the Wagner PMC. The man's clothing features shoulder patches depicting Russian flag, Wagner PMC, and Kolovrat (a type of Slavic swastika). It seems that the photo was taken in Montreal, Canada, on McGill College Avenue, near the Place Ville Marie.

The text of the statement declares that the Council of Commanders of Wagner PMC, with participation of 427 individuals (enough to form a quorum), possesses "reliable information" that policy of the United States, Great Britain, and Canada is based on terrorist methods, neocolonialist subjugation and genocide of population of Africa and Slavic peoples, "confessional terrorism" towards Christians and Muslims, as well as anti-Asian racism.

Paragraph two of the text declares that Wagner has evidence of violations during the U.S. elections of 2016 and 2020, stating that the 2020 elections are illegitimate.

The statement informs the readers that "The Council of Commanders of Wagner PMC approved several resolutions: 1) To consider the governments of the United States, Great Britain, and Canada illegitimate. 2) To invalidate the following documents: U.S. Declaration of Independence, British Union Treaty, and British North America Act (1867). It goes on: "[It's decided] to recognize Great Britain as a state whose residents live in a 'troubled time of ungovernability'; to challenge the sovereignty of Canada due to the fact that it is a territory of the Commonwealth headed by King Charles III of Great Britain. Based on the above, the U.S., U.K., and Canadian governments are deemed to be ober-terrorist and illegitimate."

The document demanded an explanation from the leaders of the three countries and asserted that "Wagner PMC will provide all possible assistance to the peoples of these and other oppressed countries to counter terrorist structures, such as the governments of U.S., the U.K., Canada, ISIS, Al-Qaeda, Boko Haram, Katibat Macina and others. We will protect and support the peaceful population of states subject to genocide, neo-colonialism, terrorism by private, state, and supranational entities."

The statement is signed by Yevgeny Prigozhin in an undefined capacity.