Economics

GOP-Run Senate Backs End to Sanctions on Firms Tied to Putin Ally

  • Senate blocks effort to keep Treasury from lifting sanctions
  • Deripaska is linked to Putin and a former client of Manafort

Oleg Deripaska

Photographer: Chris Ratcliffe/Bloomberg
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The Senate blocked a Democratic bid to force the Treasury Department to keep sanctions on three Russian companies linked to oligarch Oleg Deripaska, as most Republicans backed the Trump administration’s plan to lift the penalties.

The 57-42 Senate vote Wednesday was three short of the 60 needed to advance the Democrats’ resolution to a final vote. As a result, the Treasury Department likely will be able to move forward with its plan announced Dec. 19 to lift sanctions against three companies Deripaska controls -- United Co. Rusal, En+ Group Plc and EuroSibEnergo JSC.