The government of Kosovo added the decision to impose sanctions against the Russian mercenary group Wagner in accordance with the decision of the United States of America, which designated it as a "transnational criminal organization" because, until the beginning of the war in Ukraine, it acted as an instrument of Russian power in dozens of countries.

Kosovo's Deputy Prime Minister Rabid Bislimi stated that the sanctions against the Wagner Group are being introduced in order to weaken the capabilities of the Russian Federation to wage war against Ukraine.

"For this reason, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Diaspora of Kosovo proposes to supplement and amend the decision of the Government of Kosovo (from May 16, 2022) on the implementation of the international sanctions introduced by the United States, which are implemented by our Republic in relation to the international obligations to the Wagner Group as well as their associates and other companies that support the Russian military campaign," Bislimi said.

Wagner is a mercenary army founded in 2014 by a Russian citizen Eugene Prigogine, which is close to the Kremlin. The group has been under sanctions by the European Union since December 2021 due to human rights violations in armed conflicts around the world.

This group is also actively involved in the war in Ukraine, and more recently its mercenaries have been seen as a significant force in Russia's efforts to take control of Bakhmut.

The government of Kosovo previously imposed sanctions on Russia in line with the sanctions imposed by the United States and European Union countries over the invasion of Ukraine.