Nicosia, Cyprus

Russia’s doorway to EU: Russian oligarchs have been buying Cypriot citizenship so they can travel, work, and bank in the whole of the European Union. From 2017 to 2019, more than 1,000 wealthy Russians took advantage of Cyprus’ offer of citizenship to those who invest at least $2.5 million in the small Mediterranean EU member, according to an

Al Jazeera investigation. At least nine of the Russians are billionaires, and many have connections to the Kremlin. While Cyprus has now banned “politically exposed” people from seeking citizenship, those who have already gained it may keep their passports. Cypriot citizenship allows Russians to stash their money abroad without being subject to the U.S. and EU financial sanctions enacted on Russia for human rights abuses and the 2014 annexation of Crimea.