In Ukraine, Prigozhin’s mercenaries have become a major force in the war, fighting as counterparts to the Russian army in battles with Ukrainian forces. officials say Russia may also be using Wagner’s work in Africa to support its war in Ukraine. Wagner fighters allegedly provide security for national leaders or warlords in exchange for lucrative payments, often including a share of gold or other natural resources. The United States, European Union, United Nations and others say the mercenary force has involved itself in conflicts in countries across Africa in particular. Prigozhin also owns the Wagner Group, a Kremlin-allied mercenary force that has come to play a central role in Putin’s projection of Russian influence in trouble spots around the world. In 2017, opposition figure and corruption fighter Alexei Navalny accused Prigozhin’s companies of breaking antitrust laws by bidding for some $387 million in Defense Ministry contracts.
He also organized catering for Kremlin events for several years - earning him the nickname “Putin’s chef” - and has provided catering and utility services to the Russian military. In Moscow alone, his company Concord won millions of dollars in contracts to provide meals at public schools.
In 2010, Putin helped open Prigozhin’s factory, which was built on generous loans by a state bank. His businesses expanded significantly to catering and providing school lunches. “Vladimir Putin saw how I built a business out of a kiosk, he saw that I don’t mind serving to the esteemed guests because they were my guests,” Prigozhin recalled in an interview published in 2011. In his first term, the Russian leader took then-French President Jacques Chirac to dine at one of them. Afterward, he owned a hot dog stand and then fancy restaurants that drew interest from Putin.
0 kommentar(er)
