A Nation Must Think Before it Acts
Moscow’s Mercenaries: The Rise and Fall of the Wagner Group
A nation must think before it acts.
Moscow’s Mercenaries: The Rise and Fall of the Wagner Group
July 21, 2026 | 12:00 pm to 1:00 pm | Eurasia Program
About the Event
FPRI’s Eurasia Program hosted a book talk moderated by Program Director Dr. Emily Holland marking the release of Moscow’s Mercenaries: The Rise and Fall of the Wagner Group, with authors Christopher M. Faulkner, Raphael Parens, and Colin P. Clarke. The discussion examined Wagner’s emergence into one of the world’s most notorious private military companies, its role in Ukraine, Syria, Libya, the Central African Republic, Mali, and beyond, and its deep connections to the Kremlin. The conversation also explored what Wagner’s rise and collapse reveal about the Russian regime, power projection, authoritarian outsourcing of violence, irregular warfare, and the future of mercenary activity in global security.
If you would like to purchase the book, please follow this link.
FPRI is happy to provide this event free of charge thanks to the generous support of our members, partners, and event attendees. If you are not currently a member, the suggested donation is $25.
If you have any questions or concerns, please contact our events coordinator, Christine Datesman at cdatesman@fpri.org
Speakers
Christopher Faulkner - Christopher M. Faulkner is a non-resident Senior Fellow in FPRI’s Eurasia Program and an Assistant Professor of National Security Affairs in the College of Distance Education at the U.S. Naval War College (NWC) where he teaches courses on Foreign Policy Analysis, International Security, and Irregular Warfare.
Raphael Parens - Raphael Parens is a Fellow in the Foreign Policy Research Institute's Eurasia Program. He is an international security researcher focused on Europe, the Middle East, and Africa and specializes in small armed groups and NATO modernization processes.
Colin P. Clarke - Colin P. Clarke is a Non-Resident Senior Fellow at the Foreign Policy Research Institute and the Director of Research at The Soufan Group.
Emily Holland - Dr. Emily Holland is the Eurasia Director at the Foreign Policy Research Institute. ; Moderator
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