A bipartisan coalition of lawmakers is pushing legislation that would finally give the Trump administration the legal framework to treat Russian mercenary groups like the terrorists they are, designating outfits like Wagner Group as Foreign Terrorist Organizations (FTO).
Rep. Joe Wilson (R-SC) introduced the bill Tuesday, backed by members from both parties who recognize that Putin's private armies have been wreaking havoc across Africa, Eastern Europe, and beyond while the previous administration sat on its hands.
The legislation would empower President Trump's national security team to freeze assets, impose sanctions, and prosecute anyone providing material support to these Russian death squads that have committed atrocities from Syria to the Central African Republic.
Putin's Shadow Army Exposed
For years, Russia has used mercenary groups as plausible deniability for its global aggression. These aren't legitimate military contractors – they're state-sponsored terrorist organizations that torture civilians, execute prisoners, and destabilize entire regions on behalf of the Kremlin.
"It's about time Congress recognized what everyone already knows – these Russian mercenaries are terrorists, plain and simple," Wilson stated, highlighting how the Wagner Group and similar outfits operate as extensions of Putin's military machine while giving Moscow cover to deny involvement.
The designation would provide crucial tools for the Trump administration to combat Russian influence operations that threaten American interests worldwide.
This move comes as the Trump-Vance administration has already signaled its intention to take a tougher stance on bad actors globally, whether that's cartels at our southern border or Russian proxies destabilizing our allies.
Unlike the previous administration's weak-kneed approach to foreign threats, this legislation gives our intelligence agencies and Treasury Department real teeth to go after the financial networks funding these operations.
The bipartisan nature of this bill shows that when it comes to protecting American interests abroad, patriots in Congress can still find common ground – even if Democrats oppose Trump on everything else.
Will this be the beginning of a more aggressive stance against Putin's shadow armies? The American people deserve leaders who call terrorism what it is, regardless of which flag the perpetrators hide behind.