Combating kleptocracy: lessons from the response to Russia’s war in Ukraine
Think tank: RUSI
Author(s): Tom Keatinge
May 1, 2024
This report from UK think tank RUSI explores the state of efforts to combat modern kleptocracy before February 2022.
Two years on from the invasion of Ukraine, this paper explores the state of efforts to combat modern kleptocracy before February 2022 and assesses how the Kremlin’s war has catalysed a range of responses from Western allies.
The increased focus on countering kleptocracy following the full-scale Russian invasion of Ukraine in February 2022 has involved the deployment of dedicated sanctions programmes against Russia by Ukraine’s allies. These programmes have triggered a dramatic increase in the rate of designations of individuals and entities and have led to a greatly increased commitment of resources and activity across a range of countries.
This commitment also includes an increase in legislative, regulatory and operational capacity to enhance the response to modern kleptocracy more broadly. While the fight against kleptocracy did not start here, the shock of Russia’s unprovoked aggression confronted Western leaders with the reality of their apathy over preceding decades.
