This is a rush transcript from "Your World," February 6, 2015. This copy may not be in its final form and may be updated.
NEIL CAVUTO, HOST: Well, you know, from enemies to suddenly frenemies. Russia -- Russia is leading the U.N.'s surge to cut off ISIS funding.
To former Pentagon spokesman J.D. Gordon on what is behind this move, whether it's a smart move.
I'm thinking to myself, J.D., well, wait a minute. Russia's not been hit by ISIS. It seems like everyone else has.
J.D. GORDON, FOUNDER, J.D. GORDON COMMUNICATIONS: Right.
CAVUTO: So, is that the fox giving details on the henhouse, or what?
GORDON: Hi, Neil. Great to see you.
This is a brilliant move on Russia's part, because Russia has been attacked by Chechen militants for decades.
CAVUTO: Right.
GORDON: They have gone into Moscow and they have conducted suicide bombings.
CAVUTO: But not ISIS, or maybe they have, the offshoots of ISIS.
GORDON: Well, here's the deal. There's a lot of Chechens that are part of ISIS right now.
CAVUTO: Ah, OK. OK.
GORDON: They're in Iraq and Syria.
So Russia worries that when these guys go back to Russia, they are going to attack Moscow again. This is really smart by Russia, number one, to go after ISIS directly, to go after their finances, which they plan to do, and, number two, to try to get off this bad boy list as an international pariah for Ukraine. So, if people are talking about them in the context of attacking ISIS financially, they're not going to be talking about Ukraine very much.
CAVUTO: Ah, OK.
GORDON: So, it's really smart on their part.
CAVUTO: All right.
So, but maybe they already know a lot and they can just say, look, we know actually where a lot of their money is, so there's not much searching they have to do. What do you think?
GORDON: I agree with that.
Russia has a very strong intelligence apparatus. We have got to remember Putin was a career KGB agent. So, they're very good at it. Russia is a de facto mafia state. So, they're used to moving around lots of money.
And so who better to go after ISIS for their oil sales, their sales of antiquities to raise money and their ransom payments? Those are the three ways that Russia is going to go after ISIS financially, financial warfare.
CAVUTO: In other words, then we can come back and just say, all right, now you're helping us, that is -- I'm talking the Western world. The U.N., more to the point, will say, now you're helping, so we're going to ease up on the sanctions.
Do you think that's going to happen?
GORDON: I do, Neil. I think the international community will do it.
And Russia has an economy in tatters right now. The ruble lost half its value against the dollar last year.
CAVUTO: That's right.
GORDON: Oil is only about $50 a barrel now. Russia's a $2 trillion economy. Half of that economy is because of oil and natural gas. So, Russia's really hurting right now. They need some sanctions relief.
And you know what? I think they're going to get it.
CAVUTO: Wow.
J.D., from your -- from your mouth. All right, J.D. Gordon, the former Pentagon spokesperson extraordinaire. All right.
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