Moscow’s Gold: Russian Corruption in the UK

Dr Mark Galeotti of the Institute of International Relations in Prague expanded on the role of the oligarchs in advancing the Kremlin’s foreign policy goals:

If you look, for example, at the western Balkans, it is clear there is a certain nudging towards “We would like you to buy lots of real estate in Serbia or invest in the pharmaceuticals industry in Bosnia” because this gives useful leverage. Going back to this point about the oligarchs having their money because the state allows them, there is clearly also a willingness to put requirements on them … It is often in small-scale stuff, such as “Wouldn’t it be nice if you thought it was worthwhile donating some money to this particular alternative media website or to that particular populist politician?” What they are trying to do is create the illusion that this is individual activity rather than a part of a state campaign.

Mark Galeotti expanded also on other points, read more here.

You can also watch Mark Galeotti's short video-comment on the report.