US failure to tackle Russia’s fearful
US failure to tackle Russia’s fearful Image Source A network of Russian mercenaries linked to the Kremlin has wreaked havoc in Africa, the Middle East, and most recently Ukraine for nearly a decade. Many of them now express regret that the US government did not do more to help them. As US officials and national security experts have noted, Russian President Vladimir Putin is increasingly relying on the Wagner Group as a private and unaccountable army that allows Russia to pursue its foreign policy goals at a lower cost and without the political fallout that can result from foreign military intervention. According to US officials and international watchdogs, governments in the Middle East and Africa have hired the fighters in recent years to crush insurgencies, protect natural resources, and provide security — all while committing grave human rights abuses. Sledgehammer-wielding Wagner fighters in Syria were filmed joyously beating an army deserter before cutting off his head. Mer...