After a very bad experience in Russia, American financier Bill Browder investigated illegal Russian dirty money flows and launched the Magnitsky Act, which blocks money laundering and other crimes and punishes perpetrators.

This prompted Russian President Vladimir Putin to pursue him around the world and try to silence him.

Browder talked about his new book Blocking Order: A True Story of Money Laundering, Murder and Vladimir Putin’s Wrath with Tony Leon at the Franschhoek Literary Festival this weekend.

Browder joined the discussion virtually.

READ | Adriaan Basson: An ominous warning to SA from Putin’s No. 1 enemy

He was unable to attend the Franschhoek festival (despite having a home in Cape Town) due to South Africa’s “warm” stance towards Russia.

He told the audience that he didn’t think the war in Ukraine would end soon.

“Vladimir Putin has no backing down. He will never show weakness. Now that he has started this war, he will only make it worse,” he said. He added that the Russian military was in deep trouble and was proving to be a “third world force”.

He also shared a story about Russian soldiers selling tanks to Ukrainians for extra money.

Watch the full discussion in the video above.

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