A relatively small victory compared with the other victories in December, it is still worth noting the victory on anti-corruption efforts with the passage of the defense authorization act – N.D.A.A. (S. 1790)

The law requires the Director of National Intelligence to compile a report for Congress on the corruption of Vladimir Putin, stating “It is the sense of Congress that the United States should do more to expose the corruption of Vladimir Putin, whose ill-gotten wealth is perhaps the most powerful global symbol of his dishonesty and his persistent efforts to undermine the rule of law and democracy in the Russian Federation.”

The law also requires an assessment of the intentions of the political leadership in Russia. Specifically, the assessment will evaluate the following:

1. Potential military action against members of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO).
2. Potential responses to an enlarged United States or NATO military presence in eastern Europe or to increased United States military support for allies and partners in the region, such as the provision of additional lethal military equipment to Ukraine or Georgia.
3. Potential actions taken for the purpose of exploiting perceived divisions among the governments of Russia’s Western adversaries.

Cheers to the victory!