On March 27, an international online workshop “War & Sanctions: How to Counter Aggressor States” was held, organized by the Economic Security Council of Ukraine (ESCU) with the support of the International Renaissance Foundation.
More than 60 participants from across the globe — government representatives and civil society actors — learned how to use the War & Sanctions portal by the Defence Intelligence of Ukraine, the world’s only open database of sponsors and accomplices of Russian aggression.
“To turn this data into real results — to deprive aggressors of the ability to wage war and manufacture weapons, to punish the criminals who abducted at least 20,000 Ukrainian children, to return and protect cultural heritage, and to deprive Russian propagandists of platforms for spreading their narratives — coordinated and joint work of diplomats, journalists, civil society activists, and state institutions is required,” emphasized Andrii Yusov, representative of the Defence Intelligence of Ukraine, in his keynote address.
Experts from international organizations also joined the workshop. Robin Mitchell from the Open Source Centre (United Kingdom) shared the most effective tools for searching and verifying information on potential violations. Samuel Bickett from the Committee for Freedom in Hong Kong Foundation explained how Hong Kong became a major hub for sanctions evasion and how to investigate export control violations in China. Allen Maggard from C4ADS (USA) described how to transform quality investigations into impactful materials for policymakers.
“Iran and Russia do not act alone — they act in full solidarity. So we must do the same. Today, we are all part of a global network of resistance — from Kyiv to Tehran to Washington,” emphasized Maneli Mirkhan, Strategic Consultant on European Policy for UANI and General Secretary of House of Liberty, who stressed that the effectiveness of sanctions pressure depends on the activity of civil society.
The event was supported by the International Renaissance Foundation. The views expressed in the materials reflect the opinions of the authors and do not necessarily coincide with the position of the International Renaissance Foundation.