# #19 - Candace Rondeaux - Putin, Wagner Group, Prigozhin, and Mercenary Warfare

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Text version: https://stenobird.com/podcast/diplomacy-and-discourse-podcast-6570019/19-candace-rondeaux-putin-wagner-group-prigozhin-and-mercenary-warfare.md
Podcast: [Diplomacy and Discourse Podcast](https://stenobird.com/podcast/diplomacy-and-discourse-podcast-6570019)
Published: 2025-09-05T10:17:54+00:00
Episode link: https://rss.com/podcasts/diplomacy-and-discourse-podcast/2200879
Audio file: https://content.rss.com/episodes/223496/2200879/diplomacy-and-discourse-podcast/2025_09_05_10_16_51_b9beb2a4-d705-41c4-83a7-fd594549a81d.mp3
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Duration seconds: 3792

## Resource

In this episode of Diplomacy and Discourse , A.R. talks with security expert and author Candace Rondeaux. Her new book, Putin’s Sledgehammer , explores the rise of the Wagner Group—a private army turned geopolitical power player—and its implications for global security. Candace reveals how: Yevgeny Prigozhin transformed from caterer to commander Wagner shaped modern hybrid warfare, from Ukraine to Africa Private armies weaken state sovereignty and rewrite the rules of conflict Thought-provoking and timely—this conversation is essential for anyone following power, warfare, and the future of peace. Rondeaux, Candace . Putin’s Sledgehammer: The Wagner Group and Russia’s Collapse into Mercenary Chaos. Putin’s Sledgehammer by Candace Rondeaux | Hachette Book Group Putin's Sledgehammer: The Wagner Group and Russia’s Collapse into Mercenary Chaos: Rondeaux, Candace: 9781541703063: Amazon.com : Books

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