NCJ Number
177810
Journal
Trends in Organized Crime Volume: 4 Issue: 3 Dated: Spring 1999 Pages: 81-107
Date Published
1999
Length
27 pages
Annotation
This analysis of the symbiotic relationships between government officials and criminals in Russia and Ukraine notes that the relationships that emerged in the 1990s represent the evolution and transformation of the relationships that existed in the Soviet period.
Abstract
Power that was formerly based in the managerial apparatus of the Soviet government and the consumer economy was transformed into control of large shares of the domestic economy, with international dimensions. Both countries are societies in transition. Profound changes are occurring in their legal and economic systems as well as in government institutions. During this period the political-criminal nexus has expanded. Few means exist to counter these pervasive links. Civil society is still in its incipient stages in Russia. It is even more underdeveloped in Ukraine, as are the government institutions. However, the Russian government has acknowledged the existence of the political-criminal nexus, although it has not yet acted decisively to break it. In contrast, the Ukraine government has not yet acknowledged the problem. Increasing transparency and democracy may be the best hope for breaking the nexus in Russia. International pressure on Ukraine from foreign governments, international organizations, and foreign investors is focusing attention on the harm the nexus is doing to the economy. The banking systems in both countries are of special concern. The political-criminal nexus in these countries will remain a serious problem in coming decades. It cannot be ignored in appraising the development of the domestic political situation and in determining foreign policy responses to these countries. Reference notes