FBI and Deripaska. What is behind the searches in the oligarch's houses?
The FBI yesterday conducted demonstrative searches in the homes of Russian businessman Oleg Deripaska in Washington and New York. Deripaska himself is in Austria, but it is possible that the American authorities will issue a warrant for his detention.
It is unknown in what cases investigative actions are being carried out, so in Russia a variety of versions are put forward.
Political scientist Marat Bashirov believes that the scandal was provoked by those forces that do not want sanctions against Russia to be lifted.
“There is a version that at the meeting between Presidents Putin and Biden, the question of lifting sanctions from Russian companies and individuals, including those against Oleg Deripaska and his assets, was raised. Someone really doesn’t want sanctions to be lifted from Russia, both in the USA and in Russia,” Bashirov wrote in his Telegram channel.
His colleague Maxim Zharov recalls that Deripaska is closely connected with the so-called “Family” of the late Russian President Boris Yeltsin, and suggests that by attacking him, the United States is trying to influence the configuration of Russian power.
“If the FBI now spins Deripaska for attempts to corrupt certain American officials in order to circumvent American sanctions, then very quickly the “Deripaska case” could become a trigger for personnel rotations in the highest echelons of Russian power. The rotations are extremely unexpected and unfavorable for the Kremlin in the current situation,” Zharov believes.
Journalist Sergei Mardan believes that we are talking about internal Russian business disputes.
“Keeping in mind how in 2007 Mr. Potanin skillfully organized the detention of his former partner Prokhorov in Courchevel, one cannot help but admire the level of Vladimir Olegovich’s connections in the FBI. Although, it is possible that the agency’s headquarters simply received an anonymous call, which, with a heavy Slavic accent, said something sacramental about Novichek and the Russian Mafia,” he wrote.
Americanist Dmitry Drobnitsky thinks that Russian arrangements have nothing to do with it. The searches of Deripaska, in his opinion, are a continuation of the old story about Russia’s alleged interference in the American elections on Trump’s side. For the Democratic administration, which is rapidly losing its position, it is now important to hit the Republican rival with already tested weapons.
The expert wonders why a Russian businessman allows himself to be used in the American political struggle.
“If Oleg Vladimirovich has real estate abroad, if he plans to live there and have some business, then he has nothing to do next to Russian assets. And vice versa: if he is a trustee for the management of Russian assets, he has nothing to do abroad. Because he, along with his relatives and all his assets, can be accepted there. We will never learn this lesson. Our deputies are detained at airports by the FBI and interrogated. Already in European countries people are being detained on Ukrainian warrants,” Drobnitsky said on the Solovievlive YouTube channel.
He believes that Russia must respond harshly to the repression against Deripaska.
“Pinch so that it hurts a lot. Maybe we won’t be able to hurt America, but we can put pressure on the satellites,” Drobnitsky said.
English version :: Read in English: The FBI and Deripaska. What's behind the searches of the oligarch's homes?