Putin is using corruption as a weapon to weaken Europe from within

Corruption has long been President Vladimir Putin’s favorite weapon. He used this policy extensively against Ukraine over the years to prepare for a full-scale invasion in February 2022. Russian leaders now appear to be employing corrupt tactics, using the same weapons they honed earlier in Ukraine, to weaken Europe and weaken the continent. Democratic institutions from within.

Czech and Belgian law enforcement agencies reported in late March 2024 that Kremlin-linked Ukrainian oligarch Viktor Medvedchuk was behind a Russian propaganda network based in Prague. voice of europe Exit. Medvedchuk is accused of masterminding the spread of anti-Ukrainian rhetoric in European media and paying members of the European Parliament to promote Russian interests in legislative activities.

This latest corruption scandal is a sobering reminder that the EU and the US remain at significant risk of Russian election interference ahead of elections later this year. For the EU in particular, the scandal further demonstrates that it must position itself to credibly demand the same from Ukraine during the ongoing EU accession negotiations.

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The man at the center of the scandal, oligarch Viktor Medvedchuk, has close ties to Russian President Vladimir Putin, the godfather of Medvedchuk’s daughter. Throughout the three decades following Ukraine’s independence in 1991, Medvedchuk was a prominent figure in the country’s political life and a vocal defender of Russia’s interests.

Medvedchuk’s personal relationship with President Putin helped him gain a reputation as the Kremlin’s unofficial representative in Ukraine. For this reason, U.S. intelligence agencies have identified Medvedchuk as one of Moscow’s top candidates to lead a puppet Ukrainian government in the event of a successful invasion.

When Russian troops crossed the border in February 2022, Medvedchuk initially went into hiding. However, after two months he was detained by Ukrainian authorities and eventually exchanged for a number of Ukrainian prisoners in one of the most controversial prisoner exchanges of the war.

Despite his exile and loss of Ukrainian citizenship, Mr. Medvedchuk remains a key ally of Mr. Putin.his leadership voice of europe Influence operations demonstrate Europe’s continued vulnerability to the Kremlin’s weaponized corruption. Ukraine, the United States, the United Kingdom, Canada, Australia and New Zealand all imposed sanctions on Medvedchuk and his associates some time ago, but the European Union did not. As a result, Medvedchuk was still able to conduct business in Europe.

As a result of this apparent oversight, it is believed that some of Mr Medvedchuk’s EU-based assets were left untouched until his involvement. voice of europe discovered. This appears to have given him some control over EU-based financial assets, facilitating his alleged illegal activities.

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In response to recent revelations, Czech authorities have imposed sanctions on Medvedchuk and other Kremlin officials. Meanwhile, Belgian law enforcement has launched an investigation into allegations of bribes paid to members of parliament in France, Germany, Belgium, the Netherlands, Poland and Hungary, and Polish authorities have also launched an investigation.

Although these steps are welcome, it is unclear why EU authorities did not act sooner to counter the Kremlin’s weaponized corruption. Many now fear that the scandal is just the tip of the iceberg in Russia’s efforts to infiltrate democratic institutions and media across the Western world. With elections looming on both sides of the Atlantic, this debate has become more tense.

In theory, the European Commission’s “freeze and seizure” task force is intended to coordinate with the rest of the Russian Elites, Proxy and Oligarchies (REPO) task force, which features relevant national sanctions authorities from G7 member states and Australia. It is said that The fact that the EU’s sanctions list still does not fully align with the sanctions list of the REPO allies, especially for a person as prominent as Mr. Medvedchuk, raises serious concerns about the effectiveness of this coordination.

The European Union should lead by example when it comes to fighting corruption. When the European Council recommended starting formal EU accession negotiations with Ukraine in late November 2023, European Commission Vice-President Vera Yulova said that Ukraine still has a long way to go to develop anti-corruption regulations. warned that it was left behind. Ukrainian authorities so far. Inevitably, questions are now being raised about the credibility of the EU’s own anti-corruption policies.

Recent allegations that a large-scale Russian influence operation is operating in the heart of the EU should serve as a wake-up call for policymakers across the Western world. The need for vigilance only intensifies as the Kremlin clearly prepares for a long-term geopolitical conflict. To respond to this threat, transatlantic institutions should prioritize strengthening Russia’s ability to resist weaponized corruption while ensuring that Kremlin operatives are subject to the greatest limits available. Should.

Francis Singh is a research assistant at the Atlantic Council’s Europe Center.

References

The views expressed in UkraineAlert are solely those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of the Atlantic Council, its staff, or its supporters.

of Eurasian Center Its mission is to strengthen transatlantic cooperation to promote stability, democratic values, and prosperity in the Eurasian region, from Eastern Europe and Turkey in the west to the Caucasus, Russia, and Central Asia in the east.

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Francis Shin

Image: Russian President Vladimir Putin attends an expanded meeting of the Council of the Ministry of Internal Affairs in Moscow. April 2, 2024. (Sputnik/Sergei Savostanov/Kremlin, via Reuters)