U.S. imposes sanctions on 'Putin's bridge' to Crimea

[Little Tich]

Source: Reuters

Companies building a multi-billion dollar bridge to link the Russian mainland with annexed Crimea, a project close to the heart President Vladimir Putin, were targeted by the United States in an updated sanctions blacklist on Thursday.

The U.S. Department of the Treasury added dozens of people and companies to the list, first introduced after Russia annexed the Crimean peninsula from Ukraine in 2014 and expanded over its support for separatist rebels in the east of the country.

As well as multiple subsidiaries of Russian gas giant Gazprom (GAZP.MM) and 11 Crimean officials, the Treasury named seven companies directly involved in the construction of the 19 km (11.8 miles) road-and-rail connection across the Kerch Strait, dubbed "Putin's bridge" by some Russians.

Chief among those were SGM-Most, a subsidiary of lead contractor Stroygazmontazh which is already under U.S. sanctions, and sub-contractor Mostotrest (MSTT.MM), one of Russia's biggest bridge builders.

Read more: http://www.reuters.com/article/us-ukraine-crisis-russia-usa-sanctions-idUSKCN1175E0

[Duckhunter935]

1. Good, keep the pressure up

[icymist]

2. One of Trump's foreign policy advisers, Carter Page, has ties to Gazprom...

I do believe this is still one of his advisers:

Carter Page
Basic facts
Current Campaign: Donald Trump 2016 presidential
Role: Foreign policy advisor
Affiliation: Republican

https://www.google.com/webhp?sourceid=chrome-instant&rlz=1C1CAFA_enUS645US645&ion=1&espv=2&ie=UTF-8#q=who+is+carter+page

It looks like he is heavily involved in Gazprom:

Trump’s New Russia Adviser Has Deep Ties to Kremlin’s Gazprom

A globe-trotting American investment banker who's built a career on deals with Russia and its state-run gas company, Carter Page says his business has suffered directly from the U.S. economic sanctions imposed after Russia's escalating involvement in the Ukraine. When Donald Trump named him last week as one of his foreign-policy advisers, Page says his e-mail inbox filled up with positive notes from Russian contacts. “So many people who I know and have worked with have been so adversely affected by the sanctions policy,” Page said in a two-hour interview last week. “There's a lot of excitement in terms of the possibilities for creating a better situation.”

http://www.bloomberg.com/politics/articles/2016-03-30/trump-russia-adviser-carter-page-interview