DACOR: Undermining Western Democracy: Impact of Post-Soviet Oligarchs and Other Non-State Actors

Start Date/Time: 
Friday, September 15, 2017 - 09:00
End Date/Time: 
Friday, September 15, 2017 - 11:00
Description: 

This talk will discuss prior research and outreach projects on the export of corrosive practices of ruling elites from post-Soviet countries to Western countries. It will argue that they originate in the Soviet past. The talk will build a macro picture of the different layers of corrosive practices, arguing that unethical or even criminal practices and values are not accidental or tied only to particular individuals but are part of the existing political system and post-Soviet legacy encouraged and promoted by elites in the 2000s. These practices have significant impact both inside post-Soviet space and outside in the West. Ilya Zaslavskiy writes on Eurasian energy and kleptocracy for FRF and for its partners at the Hudson Institute, Martens Centre and other U.S. and EU think tanks. Previously he was a Senior Visiting Fellow, Legatum Institute, and Bosch Fellow, Chatham House. He heads Free Speech, LLC which runs a project on the export of corrosive practices from post-Soviet states to the West. Mr. Zaslavskiy also continues as a consultant for Western energy firms, providing analyses of regulatory risks in developing countries. This event costs $25 and includes lunch.