Trump admin to lift sanctions on firms owned by Russian oligarch Deripaska

Authored by thehill.com and submitted by ppd322

The Trump administration plans to lift sanctions on companies owned by Russian oligarch Oleg Deripaska after he significantly reduced his ownership stake in them.

The Treasury Department announced Wednesday that it would lift financial sanctions on Deripaska’s aluminum company, United Co. Rusal, as well as En+ Group plc and JSC EuroSibEnergo in 30 days, after Deripaska agreed to reduce his ownership stake in each of the companies to below 50 percent.

Deripaska, a billionaire aluminum magnate with close ties to Russian President Vladimir Putin, will remain sanctioned and his property blocked.

“Treasury sanctioned these companies because of their ownership and control by sanctioned Russian oligarch Oleg Deripaska, not for the conduct of the companies themselves,” Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin Steven Terner MnuchinTrump admin to lift sanctions on firms owned by Russian oligarch Deripaska Treasury sanctions Russians over alleged election interference, nerve-agent attack The Hill's Morning Report — Trump blinks first in shutdown showdown MORE said in a statement.

“These companies have committed to significantly diminish Deripaska’s ownership and sever his control. The companies will be subject to ongoing compliance and will face severe consequences if they fail to comply,” he continued.

The sanctions on Deripaska and his companies were imposed in April under a law passed by Congress to punish Russia for interfering in the 2016 presidential election, in addition to other malign activities.

The sanctions will be lifted in 30 days, according to Treasury, but Congress could still block the move.

In a joint statement later Wednesday, the leaders of the Senate Intelligence Committee noted that the agreement between Treasury and Deripaska “does not change the fact that Mr. Deripaska, his employees, and his companies work at Vladimir Putin’s behest and operate as de facto representatives of the Russian government.”

Sens. Richard Burr Richard Mauze BurrMcConnell moves to force vote on Trump's counterterrorism nominee Senate votes to end debate on criminal justice reform bill Report accuses US tech giants of impeding Senate's Russia probe MORE (R-N.C.) and Mark Warner Mark Robert WarnerReport accuses US tech giants of impeding Senate's Russia probe Trump risks clash with Congress over Chinese executive The Year Ahead: Tech braces for new scrutiny from Washington MORE (D-Va.) added that the deal “will require constant monitoring to ensure that neither Mr. Deripaska nor the Russian government violate the terms of the agreement” and insisted Congress will “hold accountable those who would violate” the sanctions.

The Trump administration separately on Wednesday unveiled new sanctions on Russian intelligence officers for election interference and the nerve agent attack on an ex-Russian spy in Britain.

PoppinKREAM on December 19th, 2018 at 21:56 UTC »

Russian Oligarch Oleg Deripaska worked closely with Trump Campaign Chairman and Convicted Felon Paul Manafort.[1] Oleg Deripaska gave Manafort a $10 million loan.[2] Moreover, convicted felon Paul Manafort has broken his plea deal[3] and some Conservative pundits doubt Manafort will see the light of day until he's very, very old.[4]

Email correspondence between Russian Oligarch Oleg Deripaska and former Trump Campaign Manager Paul Manafort will be important in understanding why Manafort is a key figure to this investigation. According to videos recorded by an escort that were discovered by Russian opposition activist, Alexei Navalny, show Deripaska meeting Russian Deputy Prime Minister Prikhodko on a yacht 1 month after email correspondence between Manafort and Deripaska was established during the 2016 Trump Campaign.[5] Russia threatened to block access to social media sites, such as YouTube and Instagram, if they did not remove the videos of Deripaska and Russian Deputy Prime Minister Prikhodko meeting on a yacht.[6]

Paul Manafort offered to give Russian billionaire Oleg Deripaska private briefings on the campaign trail.[7] Paul Manafort used a campaign account for the aforementioned email correspondence.[8]

In 2006 Paul Manafort offered a deal to Russian Oligarch Deripaska, Manafort expressed that he would offer a great service in pushing Putin's policies abroad. He was paid very handsomely by Deripaska.[9]

[Manafort]: “We are now of the belief that this model can greatly benefit the Putin Government if employed at the correct levels with the appropriate commitment to success,” Manafort wrote in the 2005 memo to Deripaska. The effort, Manafort wrote, “will be offering a great service that can re-focus, both internally and externally, the policies of the Putin government.”

1) Fox News - Paul Manafort pleads guilty, agrees to cooperate in deal with Mueller team

2) Reuters - Manafort had $10 million loan from Russian oligarch: court filing

3) Fox News - Mueller filing: Manafort lied about contacts with Trump administration officials

4) Fox News - Judge Nap: New Manafort-Mueller Hearing Could Be of 'Deep Concern' to Pres. Trump

5) Telegraph - Oligarch met with top Russian official after Trump aide 'offered briefings'

6) The Guardian - Russian watchdog orders YouTube to remove Navalny luxury yacht video

7) Washington Post - Manafort offered to give Russian billionaire ‘private briefings’ on 2016 campaign

8) Politico - Manafort used Trump campaign account to email Ukrainian operative

9) Associated Press - AP Exclusive: Before Trump job, Manafort worked to aid Putin

TooShiftyForYou on December 19th, 2018 at 21:43 UTC »

Reminder that Oleg Deripaska is the oligarch to whom Paul Manafort owed $10 million.

DC25NYC on December 19th, 2018 at 20:58 UTC »

Gotta get some last minute favors in for Putin before winter break