Crime after war - Session #3 - Control & Money

Who profits in post-conflict Ukraine? 

When martial law is lifted, life in Ukraine will change radically. Checkpoints will disappear and the curfew will cease—a development that will remove restraints on criminal enterprise. With the Black Sea potentially open once again for unfettered shipping, Odesa may once again resume its role as one of the region’s pre-eminent smuggling hubs, while smuggling may also be possible across the once-hot front lines – both of which may reshape transnational illicit flows. At the same moment, record-breaking reconstruction funds will begin to flow into the country. This webinar pairs the political economy of post-war crime-governance with the integrity of the financial pipelines that will rebuild the country, including in the occupied territories. 

Three questions to guide the debate:

• What indicators might confirm a healed Russo-Ukrainian criminal alliance?
• How can European law enforcement and policy makers deal with a resurgence of Russian organized crime and criminal actors, including for political ends, given the lack of cooperation with Russia?
• What are the risks surrounding reconstruction, not just from corruption but also from money laundering, foreign vested interests, and the purchase of political capital?