Blackwater founder Erik Prince had plans to create a $10 billion private army in Ukraine, Time repor

[sabra]

Source: Yahoo/Business Insider

In 2020, Blackwater founder Erik Prince pitched plans to hire Ukrainian combat veterans and buy into the country's military-industrial complex in order to create a $10 billion private army, according to a new Time investigation.

The former Navy SEAL created a "roadmap" detailing his goals to acquire factories in Ukraine that make engines for fighter jets and helicopters as well as build munitions factories in the country and combine Ukraine's top aerospace and aviation firms in order to compete with Boeing and Airbus, the outlet reported.

Prince's full plan, obtained by Time, dates back to June 2020 and is one of his most ambitious ventures in a long career of pursuing and creating controversial defense infrastructure, according to the magazine. Documents obtained by the outlet reveal Prince's coveted venture would have given him a pivotal role in Ukraine's military industry amid it's continuous conflict with neighboring Russia.

Several of the proposals required approval from the Ukrainian government, including one that would create a new private military company staffed by veterans of the ongoing conflict in eastern Ukraine, according to the magazine.

Read more: https://www.yahoo.com/news/blackwater-founder-erik-prince-had-070738973.html

[sakabatou]

1. For Putin, right?

[Hugh_Lebowski]

3. Mainly for his own pocketbook I'd imagine (nt)

[Warpy]

5. Or his own vanity and need for power

Amway was a shitty company that ripped off a lot of people. The heirs are every bit as bad as the old man.

I did have a friend who found a use for the company, he'd invite religious door knockers in and try to sell them Amway, got rid of them every time.

[sakabatou]

6. I mean, yes, the money would probably go into his own pocket

But who would the mercs really fight for?

[mpcamb]

11. Yer both right. Money. And Power. Both lead to Putin. Who gains when local power in Kiev loses?

Putin would share the profits in order to get control of one of the old 'Soviet Socialist Republics'.
They used to get punished harshly for orthodoxy variants, like Hungary did in '56.
A private army (owned by an AMERICAN citizen??) raising hellagaint anti-Russian dissidents?!

That's gotta sound great to a rat like Vladdie.

So. Is he an American? Is he screwing with American-Ukraine policy?
Should he get a house visit from Gov't agents to answer these questions?

[LakeArenal]

2. Really sounds like a Jason Bourne plot.

Blackwater/Blackbrier/Treadstone. trained assassins

[pandr32]

4. This guy is getting in the way

[JudyM]

7. And now the whole world sees how fragile our democracy seems to be.

Here’s hoping the 1/6 committee slams the republiguns hard.

[GB_RN]

8. No Way This Could Have Gone Well...

For Ukraine. Not only would this asshole have over promised and under delivered, he’d have siphoned money from them, big time. And then probably have had his troops actually fighting against the Ukrainian army on the sly.

ETA: Prince should be prosecuted as an arms trafficker and war criminal.

[Jilly_in_VA]

9. Why

is this a$$hole still running around loose? Everything he does is basically illegal.

[OneCrazyDiamond]

10. So Putin gets Crimea, Prince gets money, and Ukraine gets to pay?

Or are we financing Prince?

[LiberalFighter]

12. I was figuring he was behind the assassination of the Haitian PM.

[Mazeltov Cocktail]

14. Yes, that was my first thought also...

And actually, as of right now, nothing has changed my mind about that, I don't think Amway salesmen should control mercenary armies under any circumstances.

[Evolve Dammit]

13. Why of course he did. Wonder what Erik and Betsy's parents were like for them to be so f'd up?

[NEOBuckeye]

15. Treat this fucker like a war criminal

He deserves to rot in a prison cell for the rest of his life, at the very, very least.