Russia
Evading Sanctions With Russian MK Companies
Russian MK companies were created to help Russian oligarchs and companies evade sanctions. This is how they do it.
Russia’s annexation of Crimea and support for rebel forces in Eastern Ukraine have precipitated a dramatic fracture in relations between between Russia and the West. In response, a broad Western economic sanctions regime has bitten into the Russian economy, and the United States has sought to shore up support among Eastern European and Baltic states. The annexation and response represent a major test-case for international governance, principles of sovereignty and the reliability of the American security umbrella, particularly NATO.
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Russian MK companies were created to help Russian oligarchs and companies evade sanctions. This is how they do it.
A review of Mariana Budjeryn, “Inheriting the Bomb: The Collapse of the USSR and the Nuclear Disarmament of Ukraine” (Johns Hopkins University Press, 2022).
The parties’ interests and flexibility of their commitments made the Grain Deal a reality but are also the main cause of its permanent fragility.
Much like Rome, a legal institution with integrity is not built in a day.
If the United States confiscates Russian state assets and transfers them to Ukraine, it should reserve a portion to compensate the people who have obtained valid legal judgments against Russia for misconduct that led to the present crisis.
A foreign terrorist organization designation of the Wagner Group could have severe negative impacts for Africa.
The 1994 Budapest Memorandum was purposefully designed to be ambiguous to allow its signatories to achieve significant goals. It is an important tool in the discourse on the current war waged by Russia in violation of the memorandum.
Making sense of Finland’s shift away from a decades-long policy of military nonalignment.
The stories of Alisa Flatow and the Brothers to the Rescue are cautionary tales for what may transpire if the U.S. were to designate Russia a state sponsor of terrorism.
Even as the Biden administration has increased sanctions on the Wagner Group, the most effective approach remains a designation as an FTO, as set forth in the HARM Act.