“But does ‘sovereignty’ come at the expense of a uniquely Wagnerian form of exploitation? Yes and no. #Wagner is the logical conclusion to Western trends in the privatization of warfare, with Russian characteristics. That Russian #PMCs are in Africa makes sense: the continent is a critical market for everyone in the industry. That PMCs market their services to countries in conflict should be self-evident, not part of some Kremlin ‘playbook’.”