[{"_1":2,"_99":-5,"_100":-5},"loaderData",{"_3":4,"_26":27},"root",{"_5":6,"_17":10,"_18":19,"_20":21,"_22":10,"_23":-5,"_24":-5,"_25":10},"user",{"_7":8,"_9":10,"_11":10,"_12":-5,"_13":-5,"_14":15,"_16":-5},"roles",[],"isAuthenticated",false,"isPremium","planName","subscriptionStatus","featureFlags",{},"insightsBudget","isDevelopmentHost","userPreferences",{},"recaptchaSiteKey","6LcvOJcUAAAAAHsB-gPGfGktcRlKpH7OTIU_dMTD","isImpersonating","impersonation","affiliateStatus","isFreedomPortal","routes/v2/article/layout",{"_28":29,"_30":31},"notFound",true,"relatedArticles",[32,75,87],{"_33":34,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":40,"_41":42,"_43":44,"_45":46,"_47":48,"_49":50,"_51":52,"_53":54,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":60,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":66,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":72,"_74":72},"mediaId",6181644,"mediaKeyId","5112505-2420094161660740d03b17858103be0b","parentId",5112505,"title","Lawmakers and experts press for renewed asset recovery, enforcement of transparency rules and targeted sanctions","audioSeconds",3340,"startMs",580000,"endMs",3920000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=5112505-2420094161660740d03b17858103be0b&start=580&end=3920","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5112505-2420094161660740d03b17858103be0b/thumbnail_580000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6181644/Lawmakers-and-experts-press-for-renewed-asset-recovery-enforcement-of-transparency-rules-and-targeted-sanctions","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6181644-5d02bc2976aec643e61c8637d76638c2/orig.mp4?Expires=1773567713&Signature=TOB9HzrJfybpdEi10Sgz9cUiJGmcZvDZff03zpEoa3ECcC0qko-h2LQQnlRCzH9H6iEBhgF8s6mJwQqGnKYfD7OeFP-f1FLu2gGyk0nx-1fMqSIfr2qEsViDwgIy1gJe4KhKZTFUeW4cNFwE1ZSYsc1MMC6JJ0OtbCnIBm-bX-DVDyvroLin2lMHhEgZt58ACyS8vPSMuGkde6r3Nnrv090pTNPqE9MZMUdgkGGqKFul0bf2qIt4FSQYyDxXH3knGTs5x8JMcL8oyKatICFPvujMbi-IyQvtI87lXMt5Q76HOaTnXpbAxJU-RSTRO9lQyZ15MBVIx8JNLLk2B4Repw__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","U.S. Helsinki Commission","date","2025-07-01T14:35:17Z","article","Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse argued at the Helsinki Commission hearing that corruption and the ability of kleptocrats to hide assets in American‑registered shell companies pose a strategic threat to U.S. interests in Eastern Europe. \"Kleptocracy is on the march in Eastern Europe,\" Whitehouse said, and he described bipartisan efforts—such as the Corporate Transparency Act (CTA)—as essential to transparency.

Whitehouse told the commission the Biden‑era Treasury proposal to limit CTA reporting to foreign reporting companies was widely criticized and that he and other senators urged full implementation. He also said Justice Department mechanisms that targeted sanctioned oligarchs—referred to in the hearing as the \"kleptocracy asset recovery initiative\" and \"KleptoCapture\"—had been dismantled and should be reconstituted to recover assets for Ukraine.

Witnesses described concrete examples of illicit finance used to project Russian influence. Michael Cecciri and Nerces Kopalian referenced prior cases in which large flows of money were laundered through Western companies and noted that those networks have been used to sustain political influence and operational activities in Moldova, Armenia and elsewhere. Kopalian said targeted sanctions and international coordination are \"an important mechanism of leverage\" but are not a panacea.

The witnesses and several members discussed the Global Magnitsky authority, the Foreign Extortion Prevention Act, and other targeted measures. Testimony stressed interagency and allied cooperation to close third‑country loopholes, to strengthen anti‑money‑laundering enforcement (including for advisers and real‑estate transactions), and to consider legislation or administrative steps that would make sanctions and asset recovery more effective.

The hearing included policy recommendations but no formal votes. Members concluded by encouraging follow‑up oversight on enforcement of transparency laws and greater resourcing of U.S. efforts to seize and repurpose assets tied to sanctions violators.

","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","HEARING — The Cost of a Bad Deal in Ukraine","oneSentenceSummary","Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse told the Helsinki Commission that the ability of kleptocrats to hide assets behind U.S. shell companies is a national security problem and urged full enforcement of transparency laws.","taxTitle","Commission on Security and Cooperation in Europe (U.S. Helsinki Commission): House Commission, Commissions and Caucuses - House and Senate, Congressional Hearings Compilation, Legislative, Federal","taxId",1967,"location","","headline","shortSummary",{"_33":76,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":77,"_41":78,"_43":79,"_45":80,"_47":81,"_49":82,"_51":83,"_53":84,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":85,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":86,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":72,"_74":72},6181649,"Belarus turned into \"Russian military outpost,\" witnesses say; call for troop withdrawal and support for democratic forces",280,1590000,1870000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=5112505-2420094161660740d03b17858103be0b&start=1590&end=1870","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5112505-2420094161660740d03b17858103be0b/thumbnail_1590000.jpg","/articles/6181649/Belarus-turned-into-Russian-military-outpost-witnesses-say-call-for-troop-withdrawal-and-support-for-democratic-forces","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6181649-51270070926545d14ddd00e2ea6ef77b/orig.mp4?Expires=1773567713&Signature=XxQHkSgHhrOHj~zHyeaCUqeI1ge46LlQav1Ka2D68p8AdY5gJVZe2rPEuya8-~caf3je3XSTA~CUH7qtAXLf~J~iveBD4akNyqNx5md7-2uMYLpwiTIE8DukPQgcHSqSEYSEFHqLConODecg26Y6IfQ23q-W122bp08Hf19lL5EfnRBEVXDqCjEifqgDcua6o8pQYbUtZg7C9nWHFv8DkBxi~HNXG2SuJ7DfV7-E8qqemuf5ssm8je9tZrbN-VkqwEP5no5cijpUbd8h8xS3r~Zt2CuSVx1SV0jHSnEVjSvd9t8aX7DFAuLGnwoI9yTnyU453ydlxlbjREX3thQpGg__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Hannah Ljubakova, a Belarusian journalist in exile and non‑resident senior fellow at the Atlantic Council, told the Commission on Security and Cooperation in Europe that \"Belarus has been transformed into a Russian military outpost\" and urged steps to roll back that transformation.

Ljubakova said 14 political prisoners were recently released and described the gesture as \"a rare moment of hope,\" but she reported \"nearly 1,200 political prisoners are currently behind bars in Belarus.\" She said Moscow and Minsk have deepened military cooperation, citing upgrades visible in satellite imagery and an agreement to host broad drills: \"This September, 13,000 Russian troops will be in Belarus for Zapad 2025 military drills, the biggest since the start of the invasion.\" She also told the commission independent surveys show most Belarusians want independence and oppose the deployment of nuclear weapons.

Ljubakova and other witnesses urged U.S. policy tools to push for a permanent Russian troop withdrawal from Belarus and for the return of sovereignty to Belarusian institutions. \"There can be no lasting peace while Russian troops and nuclear weapons remain in Belarus,\" Ljubakova said, adding that democratic Belarusian voices should be included in any negotiations: \"Nothing about Belarus without Belarusians.\"

Witness testimony detailed economic links that sustain Russia’s war effort: Ljubakova said hundreds of Belarusian enterprises supply goods such as microchips and uniforms and that Belarusian trade and banking ties with Russia and third countries have helped Moscow avoid some sanctions effects. She recommended targeted sanctions on military‑industrial enterprises and banking channels that facilitate circumvention of sanctions.

Members of Congress and witnesses also discussed practical steps to bolster Belarusian civil society, including renewed support for independent media, sanctions focused on the militarized economy, and consideration of a U.S. special envoy for Belarus to coordinate policy and pressure. The hearing included calls for continued bipartisan congressional engagement and for coordinated action with European allies.

","Hannah Ljubakova, a Belarusian journalist in exile, told the Helsinki Commission that \"Belarus has been transformed into a Russian military outpost.\"",{"_33":88,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":89,"_41":90,"_43":91,"_45":92,"_47":93,"_49":94,"_51":95,"_53":96,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":97,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":98,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":72,"_74":72},6181654,"Helsinki Commission hearing: witnesses warn a ‘‘bad peace’’ in Ukraine would embolden Russia and threaten Moldova, Armenia and Georgia",4637,88000,4725000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=5112505-2420094161660740d03b17858103be0b&start=88&end=4725","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5112505-2420094161660740d03b17858103be0b/thumbnail_88000.jpg","/articles/6181654/Helsinki-Commission-hearing-witnesses-warn-a-bad-peace-in-Ukraine-would-embolden-Russia-and-threaten-Moldova-Armenia-and-Georgia","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6181654-2302103e2ddf35ef86c5273da567643c/orig.mp4?Expires=1773567713&Signature=eqST4wBvVh2XND70WBJ3S8UMk8kX0vqiESmbNlDPx8vrGsLB5IILg0jzQFTTekJKxH2hTYz~PUFEwISymEqIBkKsYErcI5FVGU8u3lgvlEAhcNsiUaIhr5W7dyyxByWHU9GnHc24fhDVin6Z-D9mzGJHTrF79AgGaPiKlWyYkCE1cqQesDaBoB9-PfNuwyEQ9pJE7Cdi0f7RjeuK9BnZlHo3P8Jy51QQRKXnhN18NN-viL9nMkVfczDQeYE0yEmfjlM~zYGtjeG96QZcTI-sniAWnEKYg4hRKt6dPlLxaTYM70uLjz-CZolIdWUPGOlOFe5lWpzGVf1oNnk5I-wkKA__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Sen. Roger Wicker, chair of the Commission on Security and Cooperation in Europe (U.S. Helsinki Commission), opened a hearing saying \"it is Ukrainians themselves who will overwhelmingly bear the cost of a peace deal that rewards Russian aggression.\" Witnesses and members of Congress echoed that view, warning that a negotiated settlement that legitimizes Russian gains would threaten nearby democracies in Eastern Europe and the South Caucasus.

Michael Cecciri, identified in the hearing as a defense and security policy researcher at the RAND Corporation, Nerces Kopalian, Assistant Professor in Residence of Political Science at the University of Nevada, and Hannah Ljubakova, a Belarusian journalist in exile and non‑resident senior fellow at the Atlantic Council, told the commission a ‘‘bad peace’’ could create enduring, Russia‑dominated frozen conflicts and expand Moscow’s leverage across the region.

\"A bad peace allows Moscow to have both leverage and a controlling stake in a process where the peace process is utilized to advance their interest at the expense of everyone else involved,\" Kopalian said, contrasting ‘‘bad peace’’ built on coercion with what he described as sustainable, enforceable settlements. Witnesses argued that a Russia‑favored settlement would undercut recent democratic reforms in Moldova and Armenia, embolden pro‑Kremlin actors in Georgia, and deepen Russian control over Belarus.

Witnesses also linked Russian gains to broader strategic consequences. Cecciri said a Russian victory could allow Moscow to redirect hybrid operations and military power across the Black Sea region and beyond, and Kopalian warned it could free resources for renewed aggression. Several witnesses noted China's growing economic role in the region and suggested a Moscow‑friendly outcome in Ukraine would expand Beijing’s influence.

Lawmakers from both parties pressed for policy responses during the hearing. Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse described U.S. tools to curtail illicit finance — including the Corporate Transparency Act and targeted sanctions — and urged renewed enforcement and interagency coordination. Witnesses highlighted enforcement of existing sanctions and transparency measures, continued military assistance for Ukraine, and sustained diplomatic engagement with Moldova, Armenia and Georgia as central to preventing what they called a harmful settlement.

Members of the commission asked witnesses how to assess the attitudes of populations in occupied areas and how to judge whether a peace would be durable. Witnesses replied that occupation skews demographics and administration of local institutions — including schools and passport policies — and that historical precedents (for example, mass uprisings in Armenia and Euromaidan in Ukraine) show public sentiment can be pro‑sovereignty even in Russian‑speaking areas.

The hearing did not produce formal actions or votes; commissioners concluded by thanking staff and adjourning. Testimony and exchanges focused on the strategic risks of accepting Russian territorial gains, the importance of transparent enforcement tools, and continued U.S. support for partners in the region.

","Sen. Roger Wicker, chair of the Commission on Security and Cooperation in Europe (U.S. Helsinki Commission), opened a hearing saying \"it is Ukrainians themselves who will overwhelmingly bear the cost of a peace deal that rewards Russian aggression.\"","actionData","errors"]

Article not found

Lawmakers and experts press for renewed asset recovery, enforcement of transparency rules and targeted sanctions

Belarus turned into "Russian military outpost," witnesses say; call for troop withdrawal and support for democratic forces

Helsinki Commission hearing: witnesses warn a ‘‘bad peace’’ in Ukraine would embolden Russia and threaten Moldova, Armenia and Georgia