14
June 2017
Past Event
Weaponizing Kleptocracy: Putin’s Hybrid Warfare

Weaponizing Kleptocracy: Putin’s Hybrid Warfare

Past Event
Hudson Institute, Washington, D.C. Headquarters
June 14, 2017
Russian President Vladimir Putin at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier in Moscow on May 9, 2015 (RIA Novosti via Getty Images)
Caption
Russian President Vladimir Putin at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier in Moscow on May 9, 2015 (RIA Novosti via Getty Images)
14
June 2017
Past Event

1201 Pennsylvania Avenue, N.W., Suite 400
Washington, DC 20004

Speakers:
Charles Davidson

Former Executive Director, Kleptocracy Initiative

Jeffrey Gedmin

Senior Fellow, Georgetown University

Michael Weiss

Investigative Reporter for International Affairs, CNN

Soon after Russia’s annexation of Crimea in 2014, experts began using the term “hybrid warfare” to describe the threat posed by the Kremlin to neighboring countries. But there is now widespread recognition that Vladimir Putin is pursuing broader ambitions to build a network of anti-Western states, destroy NATO, and ultimately marginalize the United States and the West in order to achieve regional hegemony and global power.

In Weaponizing Kleptocracy: Putin’s Hybrid Warfare, Marius Laurinavicius explores the roots of the kleptocratic dimension of Russia’s hybrid warfare, how kleptocracy fits into Putin’s global strategy, and the ways in which it increases the risk of a conventional war between Russia and the West.

On June 14, Hudson Institute hosted a discussion of these issues with Charles Davidson, Executive Director of the Kleptocracy Initiative; Jeffrey Gedmin, Atlantic Council Nonresident Senior Fellow; Marius Laurinavicius, BAFF Security Research Fellow; Hannah Thoburn, Hudson Institute Research Fellow; and Michael Weiss, CNN Investigative Reporter for International Affairs.

Related Events
02
July 2025
Virtual Event | Online Only
After Midnight Hammer: The State of Iran’s Nuclear Program and What’s Next in the Middle East
Featured Speakers:
David Albright
Michael Doran
Maxar satellite imagery collected on June 22 shows extensive damage at the Fordow underground nuclear enrichment complex. (Getty Images)
02
July 2025
Virtual Event | Online Only
After Midnight Hammer: The State of Iran’s Nuclear Program and What’s Next in the Middle East

David Albright, one of the leading experts on the Iranian nuclear program, will join  Michael Doran for a fireside chat on the state of Iran’s nuclear ambitions following Operations Rising Lion and Midnight Hammer.

Maxar satellite imagery collected on June 22 shows extensive damage at the Fordow underground nuclear enrichment complex. (Getty Images)
Featured Speakers:
David Albright
Michael Doran
07
July 2025
In-Person Event | Hudson Institute
Designating the Polisario Front: A Conversation with Rep. Joe Wilson
Featured Speakers:
Michael Doran
Congressman Joe Wilson
U.S. Rep. Joe Wilson (R-SC) speaks during a news conference hosted by members of the Congressional Ukraine Caucus at the Capitol on February 24, 2025 in Washington, DC. (Getty Images)
07
July 2025
In-Person Event | Hudson Institute
Designating the Polisario Front: A Conversation with Rep. Joe Wilson

Michael Doran, director of Hudson’s Center for Peace and Security in the Middle East, will host Congressman Joe Wilson (R-SC) for a discussion on the strategic benefits of designating the Polisario Front as a foreign terrorist organization (FTO).

U.S. Rep. Joe Wilson (R-SC) speaks during a news conference hosted by members of the Congressional Ukraine Caucus at the Capitol on February 24, 2025 in Washington, DC. (Getty Images)
Featured Speakers:
Michael Doran
Congressman Joe Wilson
09
July 2025
Virtual Event | Invite Only
Israel’s Economic Resilience after October 7: Navigating War and Strategic Pressures
Featured Speakers:
Noach Hacker
Michael Doran
Getty Images
09
July 2025
Virtual Event | Invite Only
Israel’s Economic Resilience after October 7: Navigating War and Strategic Pressures

Noach Hacker, Israel’s minister of economic affairs, will join Hudson’s Michael Doran for a discussion on how Israel has fortified its economic foundations for moments of extreme crisis. 

Getty Images
Featured Speakers:
Noach Hacker
Michael Doran
11
July 2025
In-Person Event | Hudson Institute
The Han Kuang Exercise and the Taiwanese Military’s Road to Readiness
Featured Speakers:
RADM Mark Montgomery
Brent Sadler
Bryan Clark
Moderator:
Riley Walters
Getty Images
11
July 2025
In-Person Event | Hudson Institute
The Han Kuang Exercise and the Taiwanese Military’s Road to Readiness

Hudson’s Riley Walters will discuss what to look for during these exercises and what more Taiwan can do to strengthen its defense posture with a panel of military experts.

Getty Images
Featured Speakers:
RADM Mark Montgomery
Brent Sadler
Bryan Clark
Moderator:
Riley Walters