Deals
Russia’s State Oil Company Paid Mystery Consultant $250 Million in Iraq Deal
- Singapore accounts reveal payment to help secure Kurdish deals
- Rosneft’s move comes as Russia expands influence in the region
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Russia’s state oil company paid $250 million to an external consultant to help secure deals in Iraqi Kurdistan, according to documents that shed new light on transactions that have strengthened Moscow’s presence in the Middle East.
The fee was linked to deals that helped Rosneft become the dominant foreign player in the Kurdish oil industry. In the process, they drew Russia deeper into Iraq just as President Vladimir Putin was seeking to bolster the Kremlin’s position in the region at Washington’s expense.