Thank you, Chair.
Thank you to all the witnesses who are with us here this morning to share your wisdom and insights.
Mr. Browder, I'm going to start with you. I read your earlier book, The Red Notice, a couple of years ago and have just downloaded your most recent book and have read a couple of chapters so far. Thank you for them. I would recommend them to all committee members as reading to better understand the corruption that is going on in Russia today under President Putin.
In your book, you talk about your friend and lawyer, Sergei Magnitsky, and I want to thank you for sticking to it and encouraging western countries to implement Magnitsky laws and sanctions, which we have done now.
Mr. Browder, here's my question. You appeared before the foreign affairs committee on February 10 of this year, some two weeks before Russia actually invaded Ukraine, and you recommended that we identify 50 of Putin's top oligarchs and that we hit them hard, where it hurts, and that is in their bank accounts.
You suggested that we hit five and then another five, and that if Putin actually invades Ukraine, to hit all the rest of them. You said, “I believe this would stop Putin in his tracks and he wouldn't invade Ukraine.”
Clearly, sir, something went wrong. Either the government didn't take your advice or you underestimated Putin's propensity for recklessness.
It's over to you.