What was Erik Prince doing in the Seychelles Islands with Russian officials?
The Washington Post has claimed that Erik Prince, the founder of private security firm Blackwater (now known as Academi) traveled to the Seychelles Islands to set up a back channel link between the then-incoming Trump administration and Russian president Vladimir Putin. The meeting is alleged to have taken place around January 11, and the accusations arise as the Trump administration comes under increasing fire for its supposed links to the Russian government.
Allegedly, the deal was brokered by the United Arab Emirates. It remains unclear who the Russian contact was, but insiders are reporting that it was a Putin “confidant.” The meeting is said to have lasted approximately two days. American, European, and Arab officials have backed the claims.
The exact agenda of the alleged meeting is unknown, but it is believed that Prince and his Russian counterpart were primarily focused on Russian ties to Iran. Russia has been one of Tehran’s few allies over the past several years. Both governments have provided a considerable amount of support to Bashar Assad in Syria. The United States under President Obama favored regime change in Syria and initially backed the revolution that unfolded in the wake of the 2011 Arab Spring.
It is alleged that in exchange for pulling back support for Iran, the United States would drop or reduce sanctions on Russia. The Russian economy has struggled mightily over the past few years, due in part to international sanctions leveled on Russia following its hostile takeover of the Ukrainian Crimea.
It is believed that the FBI is investigating the meeting as part of its larger efforts to examine Russian influence over the election and the American government. The claim comes as an increasing number of Trump administration officials and supporters are being investigated for alleged links to Russia.
Erik Prince was not officially associated with the Trump campaign at any point, so it remains unclear what official sanction he had to present President Trump, if any. Prince did donate $250,000 dollars to the Trump campaign, the Republican Party, and pro-Trump Super Pacs. Prince also used his considerable political influence to support Trump. Prince is also Secretary of Education Betsy Devos’ brother.
The company founded by Prince, Blackwater, was the focus of much controversy during the Iraq war. The Nisour Square massacre, in which 17 Iraqis were killed and at least 20 were injured, caused international uproar and brought the role of private contractors in war zones into the global spotlight. The incident occurred while Blackwater was escorting a US embassy convoy from a nearby compound following an IED explosion.
Four Blackwater employees were ultimately charged in relation to the incident. Nicholas Slatten was sentenced to life in prison, while Dustin Heard, Evan Liberty, and Paul Slough were each sentenced to 30 years.
Brian Brinker is an OpsLens Contributor and political consultant. Brinker has an M.A in Global Affairs from American University.
