Ukraine’s efforts against money laundering since the Russian invasion in February 2022

Authors

  • Alexander Blümel Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine, Ukraine

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.18523/kmlpj303155.2023-8-9.44-58

Keywords:

Anti-Money Laundering, Compliance, Russian Invasion, Money Laundering prevention, Terrorism Financing, Financial Intelligence

Abstract

The shifting environment of money laundering, exacerbated due to the war, calls for scrutiny of Ukraine's reaction to this fundamental challenge. This paper thus helps widen the knowledge about how Ukraine is trying to fight against money laundering and protect financial system integrity by shedding light on legislative transformations and their results in a much more complex geopolitical setting. Therefore, it provides an overview about the main elements of Ukrainian anti- money laundering policy and an analysis of reforms passed in this sphere of law since the full-scale invasion of Russia into Ukraine 2022. It focuses on the main changes of legislature in terms of anti-money laundering and terrorism financing prevention as well as first identifiable results of the new legislatorial and executive changes.

Author Biography

Alexander Blümel, Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine

Alexander Blümel is advisor to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine at the Consulate General of Ukraine in Hamburg (Germany), where he is in charge of strategic communication and attraction of foreign investments as well as regional cooperation. He studied at Bucerius Law School Hamburg, Kent College of Law Chicago as well as Ivano-Frankivsk National Technical University of Oil and Gas and holds degrees in law and economics.

References

  1. Alsalami, N., and B. Zhang. “SoK: A Systematic Study of Anonymity in Cryptocurrencies.” IEEE Xplore, November 1, 2019. https://doi.org/10.1109/DSC47296.2019.8937681.
  2. Basel Institute on Governance. “Indicators used in the Basel AML Index” BIoG, Accessed September 05, 2023, https://baselgovernance.org/basel-amlindex/methodology/indicators#:~:text=Corruption%20is%20a%20common%20predicate,higher%20risk%20of%20money%20laundering.
  3. European Commission. “Report from the Commission to the European Parliament and the Council on the Assessment of the Risk of Money Laundering and Terrorist Financing Affecting the Internal Market and Relating to Cross-Border Activities.” European Commission, 2022. https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal- content/EN/TXT/?uri=CELEX%3A52022SC0344.
  4. European Parliament. “Report on the Proposal for a Regulation of the European Parliament and of the Council on the Prevention of the Use of the Financial System for the Purposes of Money Laundering or Terrorist Financing | A9-0151/2023 | European Parliament.” European Parliament, April 14, 2023. https://www.europarl.europa.eu/doceo/document/A-9-2023-0151_EN.html.
  5. Financial Action Task Force. “FATF Public Statement on the Situation in Ukraine.” FATF, March 2022, Accessed September 25, 2023. https://www.fatfgafi.org/en/publications/Fatfgeneral/Ukraine-2022.html.
  6. Financial Action Task Force. “Ukraine’s Progress since 2009.” FATF. Accessed September 25, 2023. https://www.fatf-gafi.org/en/countries/detail/Ukraine.html.
  7. Gorodysky, Alexander N. “Ukraine, International Money Laundering, and the Investigation of Organized Crime.” Trends in Organized Crime 6, no. 3-4 (March 2001): 37–42. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12117-001-1004-8.
  8. Government of the District of Columbia. “DISB Consumer Alert - Beware of Ukrainian Crisis Charity Scams.” DISB. Accessed September 25, 2023. https://disb.dc.gov/sites/default/files/dc/sites/disb/page_content/attachments/DISB%20Consumer%20Alert%20Ukrainian%20Crisis%20Charity%20Scams_0.pdf.
  9. Hrytsai, Serhii. “Cryptocurrency in the Declarations of Government Officials: A Toolkit for Money Laundering (Trends and Experience of Counteraction, by the Example of Ukraine).” Access to Justice in Eastern Europe 6, no. 3 (June 19, 2023): 81–107. https://doi.org/10.33327/ajee-18-6.3-a000333.
  10. Liga Zakon. “Law “On Amendments to the Law of Ukraine ‘On Prevention and Counteraction to Legalization (Laundering) of Criminal Proceeds, Financing of Terrorism, and Financing of the Proliferation of Weapons of Mass Destruction’ on Protection from Actions by the State Which Carries out Aggression against Ukraine and Adaptation of Legislation to Specific FATF Standards and Requirements of EU Directive 2018/843 .” Liga Zakon, November 4, 2022. https://ips.ligazakon.net/document/view/T222736?an=50.
  11. OECD. “FATF Decides to Impose Counter-Measures on Ukraine; No Counter-Measures to Apply against Nigeria at This Time.” OECD, 2002. https://www.oecd.org/newsroom/fatfdecidestoimposecountermeasuresonukrainenocounter-measurestoapplyagainstnigeriaatthistime.htm.
  12. Parliament of Ukraine. “Law ‘On Amendments to the Law of Ukraine on Prevention of Countermeasures against the Legalization of Proceeds of Crime.’” Official web-portal of the Parliament of Ukraine, December 24, 2002. https://zakon.rada.gov.ua/laws/show/345-15?lang=en#Text.
  13. Parliament of Ukraine. “Law ‘On Amendments to Certain Laws of Ukraine on Preventing the Use of Banks and Other Financial Institutions for the Purpose of Legalizing Funds Obtained by Criminal Ways.’” Official web-portal of the Parliament of Ukraine, February 6, 2003. https://zakon.rada.gov.ua/laws/show/485-15?lang=en.
  14. Parliament of Ukraine. “Law ‘On Amendments to the Criminal and Criminal Procedure Code of Ukraine.’” Official web-portal of the Parliament of Ukraine, January 16, 2003. https://zakon.rada.gov.ua/laws/show/430-15?lang=en#Text.
  15. Parliament of Ukraine. “Law ‘On Preventing and Counteracting to Legalization (Laundering) of the Proceeds from Crime, Financing of Terrorism and Financing of Proliferation of Weapons of Mass Destruction’ No. 361-IX .” Official web-portal of the Parliament of Ukraine, December 6, 2019. https://zakon.rada.gov.ua/laws/show/361- 20?lang=en#Text.
  16. Parliament of Ukraine. “Resolution ‘On the Formation of the State Department of Financial Monitoring within the Ministry of Finance of Ukraine.’” Official web-portal of the Parliament of Ukraine, January 10, 2002. https://zakon.rada.gov.ua/laws/show/en/35-2002-%D0%BF?lang=en#Text.
  17. Petrova, Vanya. “Cash Is King: Impact of the Ukraine War on Illicit Financial Flows in South Eastern Europe.” Global Initiative, 2023. https://globalinitiative.net/wpcontent/uploads/2023/07/Vanya-Pretrova-Cash-is-King-Impact-of-the-Ukraine-War- on-illicitfinancial-flows-in-South-Eastern-Europe-GI-TOC-July-2023.pdf..
  18. The State Financial Monitoring Service of Ukraine. “Information on the Results of the State Financial Monitoring Service of Ukraine for the First Half of 2023.” The State Financial Monitoring Service of Ukraine, July 20, 2023. https://www.fiu.gov.ua/en/pages/dijalnist/funkcional/news/20-07-2023-001.html.
  19. The State Financial Monitoring Service of Ukraine. “Informing on the Results of the State Financial Monitoring Service of Ukraine Work for 2022.” The State Financial Monitoring Service of Ukraine, January 18, 2023. https://fiu.gov.ua/en/pages/dijalnist/funkcional/news/Informuvannya-pro- rezultati-robotiderzhfinmonitoringu-za-2022-rik.html.
  20. The State Financial Monitoring Service of Ukraine. “The MONEYVAL Strategy for 2023-2027 and the High-Level Declaration of MONEYVAL Priorities Were Approved.” The State Financial Monitoring Service of Ukraine, April 26, 2023. https://www.fiu.gov.ua/en/pages/dijalnist/funkcional/news/sxvaleno-strategiyu- MONEYVAL-na-2023-2027-roki-ta-deklaracziyu-visokogo-rivnya-shhodo- prioritetiv-MONEYV AL.html.
  21. Transparency International. “World Corruption Perceptions Index - 2022.” Transparency International, 2022. https://cpi.tiukraine.org/en/#:~:text=Ukraine%20received%2033%20points%20out.
  22. Vovchak, Olha, and Liubov Yendorenko. “Consideration of the Peculiarities of Analyzing Financial Transactions Subject to Financial Monitoring in Times of War.” Technology Audit and Production Reserves 3, no. 4(71) (June 30, 2023): 37–41. https://doi.org/10.15587/2706-5448.2023.284222.

Downloads

Published

2023-12-30

How to Cite

Blümel A. (2023). Ukraine’s efforts against money laundering since the Russian invasion in February 2022. Kyiv-Mohyla Law and Politics Journal, (8-9), 44–58. https://doi.org/10.18523/kmlpj303155.2023-8-9.44-58