WASHINGTON, Dec. 11 (UPI) -- Washington intends to scrutinize the proposed purchase of a big U.S. steel company by a Russian billionaire with links to the Kremlin.
Roman Abramovich recently agreed to pay $2.3 billion for Oregon Steel in a proposed takeover that has raised regulatory eyebrows at the Committee on Foreign Investment, the Wall Street Journal said Monday.
"The government may not need to know every last special purpose vehicle (Abramovich controls) but what they do need to know is whether Evraz is owned, controlled or influenced by a Russian or other government interest," said Daniel Lucich, a former deputy assistant secretary at the U.S. Treasury.
The proposed takeover, which would be the largest by any Russian entity of a U.S. company, comes as Kremlin economic policy begins to merge with Kremlin political goals.
