The Role of Illicit Taxation in Subsidizing Crime in Eastern Ukraine

Rowan Williams: It's really fascinating to think about the way in which the sale of these illicit commodities, whether it be coal or cigarettes or whatever, has really been able to lower the cost to Russia. Could you speak a little bit about the extent to which what we might call administrative measures could play into this phenomenon? He says that almost any economic activity that occurs in a territory that's been unlawfully annexed could itself be considered an illicit sort of activity. The Hansonettes Crimea are still legally part of Ukraine, but they have these de facto administrations which are co-opted and supported by the Russian state, he adds.