WASHINGTON (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 16th January, 2019) US Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin said on Tuesday he briefed Senate Republicans on the Trump administration's plans to lift sanctions from three Russian companies, EN+ Group, Rusal and JSC EuroSib Energo.
"I think I can say that the Republicans appreciated me giving them our overview and answering questions," Mnuchin told reporters after the briefing, as quoted by the Washington Examiner.
Mnuchin added that he does not intend to delay the Treasury's planned sanctions rollback, which is due to go into effect on Friday.
Earlier on Tuesday, Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer said he would force the chamber to vote on a resolution to block the Treasury's decision to lift sanctions on the three Russian companies.
Meanwhile, US House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer on Tuesday introduced a similar resolution in the Congress' lower chamber to block the Treasury Department from lifting the sanctions.
Mnuchin provided the briefing to Republicans with the aim of strengthening their support for the Treasury's plan in the face of Democrats' attempts to block it, the report said. The secretary told reporters that the decision to lift sanctions came only after long and careful negotiations with intelligence and career Treasury officials.
"We put together an agreement that we think meets the laws and the requirements to delist [these entities]," he said, according to the report.
The Treasury on December 19 announced that it would roll back its sanctions on EN+, Rusal and JSC EuroSib Energo after the three firms agreed to sweeping structural changes that will improve transparency and reduce the ownership of Russian businessman Oleg Deripaska, who will remain on the US blacklist.
The Congress has the legal authority to block the decision, but if it does not act by the end of Thursday's legislative session, the sanctions will be lifted as planned on Friday, January 18.
