Russia after the war: threats in Europe due to the development of armed organized crime

Abstract

The article concerns the issue of threats that organized crime originating in Russia will pose to the countries of Central and Eastern Europe, especially Poland, after the end of the Russian aggression against Ukraine. This issue is currently becoming increasingly important due to the fact that representatives of the USA and the Russian Federation have started peace talks, which may indicate the approaching end of the war. It presents the causes and conditions of this threat resulting from the international and internal situation in Russia. They mean that, looking at these phenomena objectively, regardless of the approach to the Russian-Ukrainian war itself, the risks in the international and internal dimension for European countries, especially the countries of Central and Eastern Europe, are becoming increasingly serious. It also indicates the current situation and Polish experiences related to the fight against organized crime originating in Russia, as well as the threats resulting from the aggressive policy of the Russian Federation. The latter are still present in the catalogue of threats to the security of countries located in Europe, but the current war situation and its consequences may contribute to their multiplication and at a very rapid pace. The article also discusses possible actions that should be taken to reduce the risks associated with the expansion of Russian organized crime, both internally and at the level of international cooperation of countries for which the discussed situation is and will be a serious challenge to stability and security. These actions should be implemented over a long period of time, at least several years, in order to reduce the negative impact of the discussed problem.