Eric J. Uribe
Russian use of hard power has been displayed on the global stage for nearly 20 years. Since the invasion of Georgia in 2008 and subsequent invasion of Ukraine, the Kremlin’s apparent tool of choice in foreign policy has been military action and coercion through force. With the appearance of “little green men” in Crimea in 2014, the use of deniable means by the Russian government signaled a shift in the methods by which it sought to further its national interests. Among these methods, the Russian private military company (PMC) or сhastnaya voyennaya kompaniya (ЧВК) has grown in utility and effectiveness to achieve the objectives of the Russian government. The most overt actions of Russian PMCs often correlate with hard-power applications such as the use of Wagner PMC in combat for strategic cities in Ukraine and its use in Donbass in 2014-15. However, PMCs have become more than just a hammer for battlefield operations; they have become a critical component of the Kremlin’s “hybrid” or gray zone doctrine.
Since 2014, Russian PMCs have emerged as Russia’s most successful tool of soft power diplomacy, allowing the Kremlin to increase its influence and power across the globe by expanding alliances and partnerships, accessing resources and minerals, and challenging US interests abroad and in the Western Hemisphere. In Africa, the Middle East, and even Latin America PMCs have opened the door to bolster relationships and regional access by providing security services or security force assistance. In Africa, PMCs have enabled the Russian government to successfully convert positive Russian sentiment and approval into formal trading agreements, increasing the Kremlin’s grip on local natural resources. Finally, across the globe, Russian PMCs have undermined US interests. Chief amongst these are their operations in Latin America, which have given Russia a foothold in the American hemisphere, threatening the idea of US regional or even global hegemony.
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