NAMING AND SHAMING?

U.S. Releases ‘Oligarchs List’ of Putin Allies

Emerges after Trump administration announced it wouldn’t impose new sanctions.

The U.S. Treasury Department has released a list of 210 Russian businessmen and politicians close to Vladimir Putin—the so-called oligarchs list—as part of a law passed in Congress last year to ratchet up pressure over Russian election interference. The list, released late Monday night, does not entail any sanctions or punitive measures but is seen as a way to “name and shame” figures in Putin’s inner circle. Its release came the same day the Trump administration announced it would not implement any new sanctions against Russia. The Treasury has deemed 96 of the individuals on the list as “oligarchs” with an estimated fortune of $1 billion or more. Eugene Kaspersky, the founder of Kaspersky Labs, billionaire Oleg Deripaska, and metals tycoon Vladimir Potanin were among the big names on the list, as well as Russian Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev and other top officials. Just before its release late Monday, the Kremlin slammed the U.S. over the list, claiming it is an “obvious attempt” to influence the country’s upcoming presidential election.