US lifts sanctions on Russian firms linked to oligarch Oleg Deripaska
The Trump administration defied a Democratic-led push in the US Congress to maintain the restrictions
Washington — US President Donald Trump’s administration on Sunday lifted sanctions on aluminium giant Rusal and other Russian firms linked to oligarch Oleg Deripaska, defying a Democratic-led push in the US Congress to maintain the restrictions. Earlier in January, 11 of Trump’s fellow Republicans in the US Senate joined Democrats in a failed effort to keep the sanctions on Rusal, its parent, En+ Group, and power firm JSC EuroSibEnergo. But that was not enough to overcome opposition from Trump and most of his fellow Republicans. Advocates for keeping the sanctions had argued that Deripaska, an ally to Russian President Vladimir Putin, had too much control over the companies to lift sanctions. The sanctions were imposed in April 2018 to punish Russia for actions including its annexation of Ukraine’s Crimea, efforts to interfere in the US elections and support for Syria’s government in its civil war. Some legislators from both parties also said it was inappropriate to ease the sanctio...
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