Putin reopens Goldman Sachs dealings amidst US talks
Vladimir Putin has signed an order unfreezing the assets of the American bank Goldman Sachs in Russia. This comes ahead of another round of talks with the USA, according to The Moscow Times.
Vladimir Putin made the decision to unblock the assets of Goldman Sachs in Russia, which permits the sale of shares in nine key Russian companies, such as Gazprom and Rosneft.
Putin unfreezes Goldman Sachs assets
The value of these shares on the Moscow stock exchange was 7.4 billion roubles, or approximately £66.7 million. This decision was made ahead of a new stage of talks with the USA, which may indicate a desire to improve economic relations between the countries, informs The Moscow Times.
Goldman Sachs has received permission to sell shares to the Balchug Capital fund, which had previously acquired its Russian branch from the American bank. This fund, managed by David Amaryan, has already invested in assets sold by Western companies after the conflict began. It should be noted that the assets of investors from countries considered "unavailable" were frozen in Russia in response to the blocking of Russian foreign exchange reserves.
USA lifts sanctions from the wife of a Putin-linked oligarch
Karina Rotenberg, the wife of Vladimir Putin's close associate Boris Rotenberg, was removed from the USA sanctions list on Wednesday, according to information posted on the US Department of the Treasury's website. The reason for her removal is unknown.
Boris Rotenberg is a childhood friend of Putin and his former judo sparring partner. Together with his brother Arkady, he runs the construction company Stroygazmontazh, through which he amassed a large fortune through public contracts, including the construction of the Crimean Bridge, connecting Russia with Ukrainian Crimea. He was subjected to American sanctions in 2014, while his wife was sanctioned in 2022.
A Kremlin business adviser to Russian leader Vladimir Putin, Kirill Dmitriev, is set to travel to the USA this week. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov confirmed on Wednesday that such a visit is possible.
Putin's adviser visiting USA
Two sources familiar with the matter told Reuters that Dmitriev, head of the Russian Direct Investment Fund (RDIF), is set to meet with US envoy to the Middle East, Steve Witkoff, who has also been involved in ceasefire talks regarding Russia's war against Ukraine for months.
According to Reuters, this will be the first visit of a high-ranking Russian official to Washington since Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022.
The planned meeting was previously reported by CNN, which stated that Dmitriev and Witkoff will hold talks on strengthening relations between the two countries.
The White House, the US State Department, and the Russian Embassy in Washington have not yet confirmed the visit of Putin's adviser to the United States.
