This has been the way the Kleptocrats have done things, since the days of the British Empire (which, truthfully, has never gone away - in fact, a case could be made, that the Roman Empire, never really went away - it just morphed into the "Holy Roman Empire" in Germany - and Rome was a re-enactment of ancient Babylon)

http://www.freedomsphoenix.com/News/151260-2014-02-28-imf-vultures-swoop-to-asset-strip-ukraine.htm