Strategic Corruption, State Capture, and Sanctions Enforcement in Europe

Russia continues to export vast amounts of gas and oil to Europe while importing military goods and mission critical hardware to fuel its war against Ukraine. Some of Moscow’s most notorious strategic corruption projects, NordStream and TurkStream, and their related state capture networks continue to operate despite more than a dozen rounds of sanctions imposed by the European Union and Group of Seven. 

Russia’s “no-limits” partnership with China, Europe’s lack of robust common sanctions enforcement, the patchwork of improperly integrated anti–money laundering and criminal prosecution frameworks, and governments and other stakeholders that continue to enable Russia by seeking gains from transactional diplomacy have all emboldened Moscow’s strategic corruption efforts. This has negatively affected the EU and the North Atlantic Treaty Organization’s geopolitical and geoeconomic standing, particularly in frontier regions like the Black Sea and the Balkans.

Much like it relies on the American defense sector, Europe still relies on the United States to implement effective economic security policies. The EU should accelerate the development of its common institutions for sanctions enforcement and other economic security measures, prioritizing decoupling from Russia’s oil and gas networks. The US can aid this process by continuing to intervene more assertively in high-profile cases and by providing capacity-building support and cooperation.