In this week's Lowdown podcast, Nick Cohen interviews Sir Bill Browder, where they discuss Browder's experiences with Russian corruption and Putin's regime. Browder shared how he ran a successful investment fund in Russia in the 1990s exposing corporate corruption, but faced expulsion in 2005 and later the murder of his lawyer Sergei Magnitsky in 2009 after investigating a $230 million tax fraud. Sir Bill described the challenges of pursuing justice for Magnitsky, including being sentenced to 18 years in prison in absentia, facing multiple libel lawsuits that cost him over £600,000, and being targeted by Russian authorities through Interpol notices.
Sir Bill and Nick discuss how Britain's approach toward Russia changed dramatically after Vladimir Putin's invasion of Ukraine in 2022, with Browder noting the UK's evolution from being reluctant to act on Russian corruption to becoming a leader in sanctions against Russia. They also discuss Trump's lifting of sanctions on Russian diesel and Browder's analysis that this was part of a deal where Trump pressured Ukraine to stop attacking Russian oil refineries in exchange for the diesel deal. Sir Bill says Ukraine was well on the way to obliterating Russia's diesel refining capacity until a desperate Putin essentially begged Trump to intercede on his behalf. The recently announced disgraceful - and illegal under U.S. law - diesel deal between the U.S. and Russia will do nothing to lower pump prices for American but makes it tricky for Ukraine to continue targeting refineries. As far as Trump is concerned, Sir Bill says the venal U.S. president simply sees Ukraine and Russia as providing further grifting opportunities for him and his greedy family.
Sir Bill Browder expresses optimism about the U.S. surviving Trump, and as a democracy, ultimately addressing the current rampant corruption in government, comparing the current situation to a "fever" that would eventually break and lead to justice, while acknowledging that more Ukrainian suffering would likely occur in the meantime.
Sir Bill Browder KCMG, campaigner, author & businessman @billbrowder CEO Hermitage Capital, Head of Global Magnitsky Justice campaign, and Author of best-sellers Red Notice & Freezing Order
Nick Cohen's @NickCohen4 latest Substack column Writing from London on politics and culture from the UK and beyond. You can also watch The Lowdown on YouTube.
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