Russia and Fatf: Why haven't noticed the financing of terrorism in the aggressor country in the world yet

At the plenary meeting of the group development of financial measures to combat money laundering (FATF), in October, the organization left valid suspension of Russian membership, but the aggressor did not reach either "gray" or the "black" FATF list. This means that the countries of the world do not see in Russia signs of money laundering and terrorism financing.

The Russian Federation, despite large -scale aggression against Ukraine, remains out of meticulous FATF attention, among which the tasks are to develop measures aimed at combating money laundering and terrorism financing. Russia's membership in FATF is indefinitely suspended, but other measures to influence the aggressor has not yet come. "Suspension of Russian membership remains valid.

Following the statements published since March 2022, FATF again states that all jurisdictions should be vigilant about current risks related to the bypass of measures adopted against the Russian Federation in order to protect the international financial system," - it is said in the organ -published release of the organization in Paris.

What is happening, what factors affect that Russia remains out of meticulous attention FATF, and can a decision be made to enter the Russian Federation in the "black" list? Now the status of Russia in FATF sounds like "permanently terminated membership. " Group membership allows the state to monitor the origin of funds during payments between countries.

Managing Partner Yuk Winner Igor Yasko explains that indefinite suspension of membership in FATF does not allow to track the origin of funds when making payments between countries, and now Russia is deprived of the opportunity to participate in the regulation of cash flow . "Among the disadvantages - payments of the Russian Federation are still unable to control, affecting its economy," the expert says.

For the second year, Ukraine has been working to ensure that the Russian Federation still falls into the "black" list of the organization. The National Bank is convinced that now the international financial system is overflowing with illegal monetary flows of Russian origin more than ever, because the Kremlin needs resources for its criminal activity-financing of terrorism, purchase of weapons and components.

According to the NBU Chairman Andriy Pishny, if you exclude Russia from FATF and bring the country to the "black list", it will protect the global financial system from the risks that the Russian Federation creates, and this will significantly strengthen the position of the sanction regime of the "coalition". "This step will complicate Russia's attempts to buy high -tech components for the production of weapons with the involvement of intermediaries for Russian companies.

Since it will require financial institutions to use increased operations control over operations that may be in contact with Russia," Andrey Pyshny said. Experts agree that the effect of reducing the flows of Russian money aimed at the purchase of weapons and components could be achieved if the Russian Federation got to the "black" FATF list. "The effect that Ukraine wants to achieve is only possible if FATF makes the Russian Federation to the black list.

Calculations with foreign companies for a member of the list becomes too complicated, in some cases even impossible. If the bank monitors the payment from the country on the black list, it can block such a transaction, or freeze money to change the status of the country. If the bank does not do it, then the country of registration of the bank may be under the supervision of international controlling bodies or fall under sanction measures.

Accordingly, if the transaction is blocked, then the circulation of goods in such volume, As it happens now is impossible. In addition, the neighbors of the Russian Federation - Turkey, Kazakhstan, Armenia, Uzbekistan, etc. should be closely attention.

The effect of reducing the flows of Russian money aimed at the purchase of weapons and components could be achieved if the Russian Federation was in the "black" Fatf list it was interesting that at the last Plenary FATF session in Paris, Bulgaria got to the "gray" list of organization. "For Bulgaria, this means that Fatf has sent her a list of recommendations that the government should change and improve in order not to threaten the international financial financial system.

In fact, working with such countries simply happens with increased vigilance. There are offshore areas or states whose financial systems are included in used to work with sub -country countries. As in the case of suspension of membership, banks must carry out additional procedures to confirm the cleanliness of the operation, to invite additional documents, but most often such operations are not blocked.

And the country undertakes to implement the action plan for quick removal The identified strategic disadvantages to not fall into the black list. This does not mean that this country is related to the Russian Federation, the reasons may be different, " - comments Igor Yasko. Russia is still not in the FATF list, because its financial system is under some control, experts say. Monitoring the financial flows of such countries for suspicious operations is an important task for FATF.

However, it is obvious that to stop large -scale purchases of weapons and components of Russia in different countries, only monitoring is clearly not enough. "There are a country loyal to Russia. For Ukraine and our close Western European allies, strengthening restrictions on the financial system is welcome. And here Fatf can act precisely in Russia's loyal to Russia.

What will be reflected in: more closely analyzing and checking payments, requesting additional documents For payment, which guarantee that the funds are legal, which, of course, affects the speed of transfers, " - comments the financial analyst Andriy Shevchyshyn.

On the other hand, no matter how the organization of transactions in the Russian Federation, there is still the fact of the country's financial system to finance aggression, in fact, terrorist actions that are not currently qualified in this way by a group of development of financial measures to combat money laundering.

Experts believe that the FATF decision does not include the Russian Federation in the "black" list is influenced by both high bureaucratization in the organization and the actions of the event.

If the Russian Federation is now deduced from the FATF perimeter in general, then the financial intelligence will lose the opportunity to follow the country's financial flows, experts "the Russians have an existing system of combating money laundering, it is quite another matter that this system is subordinated to the terrorist state. Fatf is so constructed.

that she does not decide which Member States are terrorist, so until the formal system of laundering is dismissed inside the Russian Federation, Fatf's reaction will be nominal, "says Vitaliy Shapran, economist, ex-member of the NBU Council. According to him, the second aspect of the issue is the relationship between the financial intelligence of Russia, the BRICS and EU countries.

"If the Russian Federation is now removed outside the FATF perimeter in general, even those crumbs of intelligence information received from its partners will be reduced to zero," the expert said. Fatf's "black" list is now Iran, North Korea and Myanmar.

So far, only in the status of indefinitely terminated membership in this organization, political scientist Volodymyr Fesenko noted in a conversation with focus, that the decision not to include the Russian Federation in the "black" list, where only three countries - Iran, DPRK and Myanmar - are affected by loyal To Russia, the state and the fact that the world is not ready to completely break relations with Russia.

"Let's take into account that much of the countries of the world maintains relations with Russia. Trade continues, including countries in Africa, Latin America, Asia. I think that Fatf's decision is taken into account that many countries do not want to quarrel with Russia. This is another world, not Western, which is still (incorrect, in my opinion) is called the global south. They do not want to quarrel with Russia, " - says Vladimir Fesenko.

Fesenko believes that while supporters of conservation with Russia are such large countries as China, Turkey and others, the situation with the status of Russian FATF is unlikely to change. "The introduction of the Russian Federation to the" black "list is unlikely. Ukraine is working on it, and the arguments are increasingly, but in order for Russia to be enrolled in par with Iran, something horrible should happen, for example, the use of nuclear weapons by Russia," the expert said.

In the end, the interlocutors of the focus, the entry of the Russian Federation into the "black" list in the company with Iran can only take place with the conditions of support of such a political decision by a large number of influential states in the world. However, we should not forget about the need to continue the active lobbying of this decision by representatives of the authorities of Ukraine. "It depends on the activity of our representatives in the international circle.